A Matter of Loyalty
by Ulquiorra9000
Summary: As the Zerg launch their new assault on humanity, an Umojan mercenary army is called upon to defend Mengsk's realm from the alien threat. Not all of the mercenaries share the same ideas of loyalty, however.
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Prologue: Peace is Fragile**

_**Halcyon, Koprulu Sector,**_

_**October 8, 2504**_

Halcyon used to be a world of green, blue, and white, a rich farm world among the fringe colonies. Now, it was red from flame and blood and black with smoke.

The very earth seemed to come to life as thousands of monstrous creatures scampered across the ruined landscape, ignoring the exploding shells and machine gun fire from the desperate human defenders. Only one city remained standing, and even it would fall if the invaders could get any closer. Constant booms from artillery and siege tanks echoed in the air like thunder, and the flashes of gun muzzles were like artificial lightning. No matter what the Dominion defense force had to offer, however, the Zerg invaders would not be deterred.

"Colonel Whitworth! We can't hold out!" a marine officer, a Major, barked into his comm. His visor was already smeared with the grime of Zerg guts, his Gauss rifle's magazine almost empty from killing so many of the creatures. "The forward trenches are being overrun! I repeat, the forward trenches are being overrun!"

"Fall back and fortify! Give as much ground as needed if it means the Zerg can't advance!" the Colonel of the defense force ordered. "We can stop these sons of bitches! Get your men back and keep up the fire!"

"Copy that, Colonel!" the Major nodded, then switched his marine suit's comm to a general channel to his men. "Fall back to the secondary trench line! Cover all entrances and don't let the Zerg in! Fall back to the tertiary lines if you must, but I want an iron wall of defense!"

The Major stood in his battered and battle-grimed red suit of armor, right in the middle of a ten-foot deep trench carved into the earth. It was only one of many long trenches dug in front of the city, and its walls were reinforced with neosteel plates and enhanced with mounted gun turrets. Marines, snipers, heavily-armored marauder troops, and a few squadrons of the hellion light combat vehicle kept the trenches safe, at least for now.

"Get down, sir!" a marine howled, pouncing on the Major and forcing the both of them to the floor of the trench. Overhead, a pack of mutalisks swooped past, their mouths ejecting a cluster of barbed glaives, the organic projectiles thudding at random across the walls and floor of the trench. The Major heard the glaives bounce off the metal walls with loud _clanks_, and just as the other marine started to get back up, one of the glaives ricocheted off a wall and pierced the marine's helmet visor. The man made a gurgling scream, flailing his arms as he fell back with a burst of blood flowing out of his helmet.

_Damned fliers! _The Major cursed, shakily getting back to his feet as the glaives bounced away. His vital signs showed that his heart was racing and that he was in danger of hyperventilating. _Damn all the Zerg! Who thought they'd be back so soon? It look like peace really is fragile, especially when your enemy is a horde of slobbering beasts from outer space!_

Elsewhere, the Dominion defense force fell back in the trenches, marines locking and loading their Gauss rifle magazines for action. As they fell back, countless reptilian zerglings raced through the trenches like dogs pursuing the scent of blood, the creatures' powerful hind legs propelling them at a hopping gait. The marines scrambled backwards as fast as they could, filling the air with thousands of bullets. The bullets bit into the zerglings' thick hide, sending a few of the creatures toppling to the trench floor in bloody messes. The marines started to round a corner, but the zerglings quickly gained on them and pounced for the kill. Marines screamed as the voracious zerglings descended upon them, their sickle-limbs punching through the gaps in the marines' armor plating, their toothy jaws tearing into flesh.

"Damn it, where is our support?" one marine cursed. His HUD outlined countless approaching zerglings, highlighting each one in red.

A nearby marine ejected his spent magazine, the barrel of his rifle smoking as he slammed a new magazine in and cycled the first round into the chamber. "Who knows? Maybe they're dead. Maybe _we're _the support."

"Maybe. I – aaaaaargh!" the first marine howled as a zergling scampered along the wall of the trench, evading fire and pouncing on the hapless marine. The creature stood on the dead marine's chest and hissed a warning at the other humans, daring them to make a move. Yelling their defiance, the marines focused their fire on the zergling and tore it to countless shreds, painting the metal trench wall with its blood.

Far from defeated, the rest of the zerglings continued to scamper through the trench, their numbers only slightly thinned out. The marines had no choice but to keep falling back through the trenches, rounding corners and covering each other with suppressing fire. No matter their best efforts, they found themselves metaphorically being pushed to the wall.

"This is colonel Whitworth! The colony is lost," the man's voice announced grimly to every man on the front line. "Get to the medivacs ASAP. Civilians are being boarded into transport ships."

"Well, ain't that just great?" a marine growled. His Gauss rifle burst tore into the leg of a zergling, making the creature stumble and fall. "Where are the medivacs, anyway?"

"They're in a large open area down this way! Follow me!" the marine in charge of the group barked, motioning down a particular stretch of trench. "But a big wide area means the Zerg can surround us. Watch yourselves, men!"

Encouraged by the idea of getting the hell out of here, the marines hustled down the trenches and didn't let even one zergling get close. Although the fierce battle still raged all around above and in the trenches, the marines clung to the hope that they would live to see tomorrow. Several more zerglings collapsed in bloody messes from gunfire, but the earth started to tremble and quake from a new threat. Suddenly, the floor of the trench buckled and collapsed as a number of huge creatures emerged like sea monsters breaking the ocean surface.

"What the hell are those?" a marine squawked at the sight. The new creatures had flat, armored bodies like cockroaches, and six insectoid limbs grew from each creature's carapace. Their heads were slightly recessed in their bodies like a turtle head, their mouths wide and toothy, dripping acid-green saliva. Three glowing eyes gave the monsters an impeccable aura of alien terror, and the zerglings seemed to be encouraged be this new arrival.

Then, the roach-like creatures opened their jaws wide and literally spat at the marines. Gushes of sizzling green saliva washed over the marines' armor and the neosteel trench walls, corroding whatever they touched. Smoke rose in coils from the point of contact, the smell of burned flesh strong in the air. The few surviving marines fired back, pouring their bullets all over the roach creatures. However, the roaches merely ducked their heads and let the bullets bounce off their armor, and the zerglings behind them were perfectly safe.

"We can't die now! The medivacs are close!" the squad leader protested. He glanced behind himself and saw the huge, open area where a dozen medivacs were accepting troops in their spacious cargo bays. The hum and hiss of engines filled the air.

The roaches stuck out their heads to spit again, but then a squad of troopers shouldered their way in from a left branch in the trench and raised their gun-arms. The marine squad commander realized what he was dealing with: these marauder troopers had thick armor modeled after that of the firebat, and their grenade launchers could make short work of even the toughest foes.

"Nail these roach bastards!" the marine squad commander shouted, motioning with two fingers at the approaching monsters. The roaches started to spit their saliva everywhere, dissolving chunks of the trench walls and making the armor plates start to collapse.

"Hey! Bug-boy!" the biggest marauder taunted a nearby roach. The monster raised its three-eyed head and rasped in bloodlust at the sight of the human. As a response, the marauder raised his arm and prepared a Punisher grenade to fire. "It sucks to be you!"

The grenade popped right out of the marauder's arm-gun and exploded on the roach's head, the fireball shuddering the trench walls with the sheer kinetic force. The creature shrieked and squirmed, but another grenade blew its head clean off and the beast's body slumped to the ground. The surviving roaches formed a line and lowered their heads, then started to crawl forward like a living wall.

The marauders flung their grenades at the living wall, but none of their grenades could fully breach the creatures' armored backs. Instead, the marauders blew the remaining zerglings sky-high with their grenade shots, but the rest of the zerglings had hidden safely behind the wall of roaches. Those zerglings pounced over the roaches and descended upon the marauders, tearing into them with claws and teeth.

"Get back! There's nothing we can do for them," the marine commander told his men sternly as the marauder troopers fell. The marines fell back yet again, drawing closer to the waiting medivacs. The roaches and zerglings pursued, but the determined marines started to gain ground. The medivacs drew nearer and nearer...

And then hundreds of zerglings suddenly poured down the trench wall, filling the corridor with their massed bodies, all rushing toward the marines. A few of them fell as the marines opened fire, but that didn't even slow down the horde. The zerglings did pause, however, as a sudden whine of engines sounded from up above.

"We're goin' in!" an excited, reckless voice shouted gleefully on the comm, and the marines stared in awe as a number of light, four-wheeled vehicles raced down the sides of the trenches and positioned themselves between the ragged marines and the Zerg horde. Flamethrower turrets on the vehicles turned and aimed right at the Zerg, and then the air burned bright orange and red as streams of fire issued from the flame guns and blocked off the trench.

A marine lowered his rifle, staring in awe. "That's the hellion, a raid vehicle! Brand-spanking new!"

An older marine's helmet visor reflected the intense light of the hellions' combined fire. "Yeah, kid, that's right. I never thought I'd respect a go-kart with a flamethrower, but damn, they give the Zerg hell."

The zerglings tried to swarm over the hellions and smash into the cockpits, but the vehicles' combined flames created an intense wall of fire that repeatedly burned the zerglings every time they got close. Even better, the confines of the trench prevented the zerglings from swarming around to hit the hellions' flank, and the wall of fire soon piled the trench with the zerglings' bodies as the hellions crept closer.

Something was amiss. "Where did the roach-things go?" a marine wondered, seeing only zerglings in the trench. Then, his question was answered as the hellions were thrown into the air by something coming out of the trench floor right under them. The roaches burst out of the floor and threw the hellions into the air, rending them helpless. The vehicles spun their flamethrowers in circles, but the hot flames couldn't reach the Zerg. The roaches spat their saliva into the air and slashed the hellions to pieces with their acid. On top of that, a monstrous new presence thudded down the trench, and a dreaded ultralisk stomped its way past the zerglings and toward the terrified marines. Its twin, gigantic scythe-arms waved in the air.

"Don't stand there and watch! Let's move! Go, go!" the marine commander shouted, motioning rapidly toward the medivacs. "Do you all wanna die?"

Some of the medivacs started to take off, their troop bays filled to capacity. More and more of them started to lift off as the ragged marines scrambled toward them, but one of the medivacs stayed behind and kept its bay ramp lowered for entry. The ultralisk bellowed and raced closer to the marines, its legs moving its body faster than one would expect. Cheering in victory, the marines dashed up the medivac's boarding ramp and watched as the ramp rose and started to seal the bay shut. The medivac's engines roared and the craft lurched, taking to the sky at last.

Then, a sudden lurch buffeted the marines in the medivac, and the alarms started going off as the craft suddenly plummeted, its left engine screaming in protest. The medivac crashed back to the trench floor, its bay door slamming open to reveal the ultralisk standing right there, its left blade pierced deep into the medivac's left engine. The titanic monster howled and thrust its other scythe-blade into the medivac, punching through the troop bay's ceiling and into the bay area. The marines scrambled back out of the medivac and to open ground, but the zerglings were waiting for them. Within seconds, every last marine succumbed and the zerglings swarmed over the medivac, tearing it apart piece by piece.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Battlecruiser **_**Hercules****_, Halcyon orbit,_**

_**October 8, 2504**_

Two men watched the Halcyon battle unfold on a screen in a Dominion battlecruiser's bridge. One of the men, a tall blond with a Dominion officer uniform, stood back from the screen and raised his eyebrows. "Well, what do you make of that, Mr. Daniels? Is this convincing enough for you?"

The other man turned to the officer and nodded, a pleased smile cracking his face. His short brown hair matched the color of his eyes, and his heavy armor vest clanked as he stood to his full height. "The Zerg are back, all right, no further need to convince me."

"Yes, and my emperor Mengsk will no doubt use the full strength of his army to repel this new threat," the officer said proudly. His aura of pride faltered somewhat, and urgency crept into his tone. "Most likely, Mengsk will draw back his man forces to defend the core worlds and leave the fringe worlds like Halcyon here to fend for themselves. That migration will leave us some openings to Zerg attacks, should the Zerg choose to pursue us that far."

"This is happening all over. I've seen the news, the UNN reports," the other man pointed out. "Even the Umojans and Kel-Morians are getting hit. My native Umojan Protectorate is under siege, too. But you want my help?"

The Dominion officer's expression went stern. "This is about the true humanity, the Dominion!" he thundered. "You are Xavier Daniels, the head of the renowned Hellhounds mercenary gang. Though by what I hear, you're more like a private army. An army that Mengsk will want by his side."

Xavier Daniels drew a cigarette from his jeans pocket and lit it, blowing the smoke toward the bridge's ceiling. "Yeah, and come to think of it, the Minister of the Umojan Protectorate is paying me a fair amount to keep his corner of the galaxy safe."

The officer's eyes narrowed, a cunning expression crossing his face. "But that's not enough for you, is it?"

"Whatever could you mean by that?" Xavier asked, but he already knew the answer.

"Your mercenary army is wasted protecting that pitiful Protectorate," the officer declared, thumping a fist on a computer terminal. His blue eyes flashed. "By definition, your loyalty goes to whoever pays you the most. Mengsk is powerful and wealthy, unlike your Minister Jorgensen. We can give you much! Money! Technology! Models of the newest vehicles to enter Mengsk's army, like the Viking transformation craft and the Banshee tactical-strike aircraft! You can start to _matter_, Xavier, become a hero! Fight for the Dominion, and everyone wins. Jorgensen can defend himself without you."

Xavier puffed on his cigar again. "I'll think 'bout it, but you've got a fine point." A fierce grin flashed across his face. "You make a pretty nice offer. Money, tech, glory... well, you're right about one thing. A mercenary goes to whoever pays the most. It's a matter of loyalty... to money."

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **The rest of this story will take place during the events of _StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, _but will focus on events and characters unique to this story. Also, the back-story of how the Umojan Protectorate discovered the Thor project will be re-imagined here.


	2. Chapter 1

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 1**

_**Training fields, Umoja,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**October 23, 2504**_

Under the watchful eye of the Umojan sun, a single hellion raider vehicle tore across a hilly expanse of grass and trees like a wild spirit. The high-pitched whine of its engines drowned out the sounds of wildlife, tires screeching over the terrain with every sharp twist and turn. Dummy targets popped up at random, thin metal boards with Zerg creatures painted in black, their vital organs highlighted with red circles. Although the monsters were merely dummies, the practice computer in the hellion kept careful watch of the driver's performance, and she didn't aim to disappoint.

"Bring it on, you dumb bugs!" the pilot cheered gleefully, the blood rushing to her head as she pictured every 2-D Zerg as the real deal. The 24-year-old woman gripped her hellion's steering wheel tight, her heart hammering and hands sweating as she fought to outdo her last run's score. A hydralisk target popped up on top of a hill, the monster's silhouette daring her to make a move. The woman smiled in excitement, wrenching her driving wheel hard to the left to flash by the imaginary hydralisk at an odd angle. She could almost see the hydralisk spit out a stream of organic bullets into the space she had just occupied.

_Even if that bastard were real, he'd be way too slow! _the woman thought with glee. Her fingers tightened on the buttons built into her customized hellion's steering wheel, and her HUD indicated that the dummy hydralisk was now in range. The pilot's hellion roared by, but the woman used her HUD to guide her turret right on target. Rather than emitting flames, the turret came to life and released a burst of large-caliber autocannon shells. Five thick bullets flashed through the air and tore right through a vital spot on the hydralisk's biggest critical point, and the HUD showed that she got maximum points for the "kill."

Trying not to get carried away and slip up, the woman nevertheless smiled at her precise shot and curved around the top of the hill, using Umoja's gravity to help her drive down the hill even faster. Some yards away at the hill's base, a square target popped up that represented a Zerg defiler, a disease-carrying monster reminiscent of a scorpion. The eager young pilot drew her crosshairs to vaporize the phantom menace, but her heart clenched when a handful of zergling targets popped up right in front of her.

"Damn it!" the pilot hissed, shifting her attention away from the defiler. She swerved to the side to evade the nearest zergling, angling away from most of the others. The pilot started to drive in reverse, curving to give her a better angle at the zergling pack. _These guys together are worth more points than that defiler over there. _Then, her fingers tightened on several new buttons on her steering wheel. A second later, she pressed them.

Two missile launcher pods, one on each side of the hellion, locked onto the targets and fired. Two small-grade IFF missiles streaked from each pod, four total missiles that left thick trails of dark smoke in the warm air. Fire blossomed among the 2-D zerglings as the missiles exploded right on target, and the hellion pilot watched as her total score jumped higher from her confirmed kills.

_I love this thing! _The pilot gloated as she drove by the last zergling. Her turret swiveled in place and barked loudly as another cluster of shells ripped the zergling apart. _I've got all the speed and armor, and more versatile weaponry than any standard hellion ever built. I've got to thank Bobby for all his hard work on my ride. _Bobby was a technician of the Hellhounds, the one who rebuilt this hellion for its rider.

The young pilot swerved and approached the waiting defiler, fingers tensing on the turret trigger. The target drew close, but then a pair of hydralisk targets suddenly popped up to her left, too close to dodge completely. Instead, the pilot triggered her missiles, hoping to use the explosions to push her hellion away. The missiles streaked right toward the targets and blasted them to pieces, but the hastily-fired missiles were a little too close. The pilot yelped as her hellion was swept off-balance and tumbled away, thumping and rattling as it went. The vehicle finally came to a halt... upside-down.

"Vehicle incapacitated," the training computer stated. The pilot tried to get her hellion upright, but the raider vehicle's quad wheels spun uselessly in the air. "Final kill count, 24."

_That's three fewer than last time, _the pilot lamented. Still, she unbuckled herself and pushed open a side door on the hellion, crawling out onto the grass as all dummy targets sank back into the ground. She pressed a button on a device on her belt to call for extraction.

Her comm crackled to life. "Hey, Charlotte! It's Nick. Where are you?"

Charlotte Huang-Geroux picked up her comm and tossed her long, black hair that was bound in a ponytail behind her back with a purple ribbon. "Hi, Nick. I'm at the training field."

"Boss Daniels wants all Hellhounds commanders to report to the Mercenary Outpost right away. Apparently, there's some big deal that's about to go down."

Charlotte's stomach lurched with excitement and curiosity. As the captain of the Hellhounds mercenary army's scout force, she would be obligated to attend this meeting for a potential business arrangement. Her longtime friend Nick Merser was merely a tank jock, part of the heavy assault division. "Sounds like fun. Did he ask you to tell me?"

Nick sounded amused. "Yeah, darling, and he really wants you to be there, too You don't want to keep that guy waiting!" His tone turned more serious. "I've never seen Daniels get this worked up. Whatever's about to happen, it's big. Even Minister Jorgensen is involved with this."

_The Minister? _Charlotte could hardly believe her ears. _The leader of the Umojan Protectorate, my home, is involved? Well, he did sponsor the creation of the Hellhounds. I guess he just wants to make sure everything goes well._

"You there, Charlotte?" Nick prodded her.

"Yeah, right here. I've called for a pickup and I'll be there soon," Charlotte assured him, glancing over at her upside-down hellion. "I can be at the Mercenary Outpost in ten minutes, I guess, and see what's up."

"Sounds exciting," Nick commented.

"Just what I was thinking," Charlotte grinned, then shut off the comm. She sighed and folded her arms, waiting for a dropship or one of the new medivac ships to come get her. Although she couldn't see it from here, the massive Mercenary Outpost of Umoja was a towering structure where mercenaries could get hired for contracts and buy, sell, and barter equipment and personnel. It served as a sort of home for the huge Hellhounds mercenary army, and the Hellhounds' two battlecruisers, the _Dire Wolf _and the _Fenris, _could dock there for free.

Charlotte realized that she was still sweaty and tensed up from her training session, and she shook her head in amusement. _I might have to change into something prettier for out big deal! Or maybe not, who knows? _Right now, her somewhat lithe body ached and her cargo pants and vest were damp from sweat, though her polished black boots looked fine. _Not really the image of the businesswoman my mother wanted me to be, _Charlotte figured, resentment bubbling in her gut. _I can do what I want with my life, no matter how much my mom yelled at me. The Hellhounds are my family, and no one else!_

*o*o*o*o*

_**Mercenary Outpost, Umoja,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**October 23, 2504**_

The largest chamber in the Mercenary Outpost was appropriately called the Business Chamber, and this enormous, circular room was where many deals of allegiance were made between countless different factions. Wide windows gave occupants a stunning panorama of Umoja, from the hilly trees to distant mountains, all under the copper-colored sky of the planet. Today, Charlotte joined her fellow Hellhounds to make this upcoming contract possible, but many more people arrived than she expected.

"Leaders of the Hellhounds, I welcome you," came the booming voice of Minister Jorgensen, standing in front of the wide windows in his full regalia. Many men and women entered the chamber, and Charlotte felt her stomach lurch in excitement and wonder. _It's just as Nick said! Jorgensen is here too, as opposed to merely sending his agents. What is going on here?_

Several of Jorgensen's officials stood with him in their Umojan Protectorate uniforms, but their air of dignity and power was dwarfed by that of a number of Dominion officials standing a short distance away. As she stood in place with her fellow Hellhounds officers, Charlotte shot a quick glance at the Dominion men, narrowing her eyes. _What the hell is this? The Dominion? We have nothing to do with them! _One of the Dominion officers had short blond hair and a mechanical implant on his right temple, no doubt an external mental enhancer. For some reason, that Dominion official gave Xavier Daniels, the Hellhounds commanding officer, a nod and grin of approval.

Xavier Daniels himself wandered between the Hellhounds, Jorgensen's group, and the Dominion officials. He stood to his full height, his hard brown eyes taking in the whole scene. He looked back at the blond Dominion officer. "Glad to see you here, Colonel Falcon. I trust that the Umojan welcoming party was kind to you?"

"Very, Mr. Daniels," the Colonel agreed, clasping his hands behind his back. "Umoja is a grand world, but there are many others like it in the Dominion that need its help against the Zerg menace."

"Which is what brings us here today, Minister," Xavier said, turning to Jorgensen. "Colonel Falcon is one of Emperor Arcturus Mengsk's top officers, and through him, Mengsk is asking for our help. The Hellhounds are strong, united, and locked and loaded. The good men and women of the Dominion will sleep easier at night knowing we're there guarding them."

_Is he making himself sound good to make Jorgensen agree with something he normally wouldn't? _Charlotte wondered, and her speculation was matched by Minister Jorgensen's response.

"That is all very well, Xavier, but have you forgotten?" Jorgensen asked tensely. His brow furrowed, and his officials gave Xavier a questioning look. "It is my Umojan Protectorate and my guiding hand that helped create and equip the Hellhounds mercenary army. By rights, you are _mine_, Xavier."

The Hellhounds CO barked his laughter. "Don't forget the definition of a mercenary, Minister. Our loyalty and our guns go to the highest bidder! That is our business!"

"And that highest bidder is me!" Jorgensen demanded, all patience lost. Charlotte wasn't sure, but he sounded afraid. "You are the watchdogs of my realm!"

"A fine pun, but your point is overshadowed," Xavier added, gesturing toward Colonel Falcon. "You, my dear minister, have been outbid. Mengsk is spending a lot to fight the Zerg and hunt down a rebel group called Raynor's Raiders, but his pockets are mighty deep. He has bought us, Minister. The Hellhounds are leaving our Umojan birthplace to fight for the Dominion. Surely you can understand that?"

Some of the Hellhounds officers shouted their approval over the loud objections of Jorgensen's party, and Charlotte winced. _This is getting really loud! We have to abandon Umoja? But... this is our home. Should we do this? I don't even know! Money, or our home? _She glanced at the commander of the Hellhounds flight squadron, an older woman known simply as Miranda. The older woman saw Charlotte watching, and she gave a quick wink and smile.

"Hey, now, do you forget what you are?" Xavier demanded to the other Hellhounds, who voiced an objection. "We are _mercenaries_! Mengsk can give us money and new technology, and a worthy cause to fight for! Don't tell me you want to turn your back on this?"

"You would not be considered traitors to your people," Colonel Falcon added in his deep, authoritative voice. He took a step forward, his eyes scrutinizing the Hellhounds. "You are merely doing what you were created for. You are still fighting for humanity."

"Easy for you to say!" hollered an officer of the Hellhounds armored unit. He clenched his fists. "Umoja doesn't nearly have the defense force that the Dominion does. Our fellow Umojans need us! Some of us have friends and family here in the Protectorate, and we owe our army's creation to Jorgensen! When we leave and they are all overrun with Zerg, do you think they'd forgive us?"

"Don't try to sway us with phantom threats," Xavier snarled, drifting toward Falcon. "The Zerg are not interested in Umoja! By what I hear, the Zerg leader Sarah Kerrigan has a personal history with Mengsk and James Raynor. She only cares about taking the Dominion, and we have to be there to stop her!"

Jorgensen's face went red in his anger. "You don't know that!" he thundered. "Umojans and Kel-Morians are still human beings, and the Zerg want to wipe us _all _out. Who knows? Maybe James Raynor will take refuge here in my Protectorate if he gets desperate enough. Kerrigan's Zerg would follow him here, and you can figure out the rest."

"That is a problem, but not one for the Hellhounds," Xavier countered coolly. "It is yours, Jorgensen, and your Protectorate has been sitting on its ass, emptying its pockets on idle research. This is no place for the Hellhounds to make themselves into something great!"

Charlotte clapped her hands to her ears as everyone started shouting again, everything from calling Jorgensen a useless weakling to calling Xavier a heartless traitor. She glanced at Miranda again. A balls-to-the-wall air fighter, she had survived countless battle arenas all over human space, and recently acquired a Viking transformation craft. She was still getting used to it after piloting a Wraith for so long, but the woman had calm confidence and good cheer that often set Charlotte at ease.

"Don't worry," Miranda mouthed to Charlotte. "I'm not going anywhere with Falcon."

Then, Xavier finally made a decision. "It seems that my young mercenary army can't make up its mind with me!" he declared. "Some of you feel obligated to stand by Jorgensen and his second-rate contract terms. So, I'll just give the reminder that Falcon's way, my way, is what is best for the Hellhounds. If you are with us, join me. If not... get out of here, and I will possibly see you again, but not as friends. It pains me that this is what I must do."

At that, many of the Hellhounds officers stepped forward and joined with Xavier, including nearly all the flight commanders. Only Miranda remained of the fliers, and Charlotte guessed that anywhere from a third to half of the Hellhounds remained in place. Charlotte, for one, didn't move a muscle.

"I do this because I love the Hellhounds," Xavier said quietly as his followers clustered around him. " It's a matter of loyalty to Jorgensen's realm or to the Hellhounds' better future. I don't want to have any dissidents or rebels in my army. Those who wish to leave, must. But be warned! If Mengsk asks me to subdue you lot and drag you all into Dominion prison facilities like New Folsom, I will not hesitate." He turned to Falcon and Jorgensen. "Let us finish this."

Jorgensen stepped forward, visibly shaken as he stood before a podium. "Yes, Mr. Daniels, let us." His voice was sour, but he dutifully activated the podium and brought up a hologram projection in mid-air, showing a document pledging the Hellhounds to Mengsk's service. Falcon, Xavier, and Jorgensen all signed the document by tracing their fingers through the hologram, and with three signatures, it was done. Xavier and his followers departed the room with the Dominion officers, and the door slammed shut behind them, the sound echoing in the vast, silent chamber.

Drawing a deep breath, Jorgensen approached the remaining Hellhounds officers. "Men, women, I thank you deeply for remaining loyal to me. You are the guardians of my realm, and it pains me that Xavier chose money over that." He paused. "Xavier _does _have a point that Mengsk can pay better than me, but I can assure you, I will find every possible way to compensate for that. You have your friends and family here in the Umojan Protectorate and it was I who made the Hellhounds' creation possible. That lives cannot be worth less than the extra money Mengsk offers."

Miranda's sudden, warm laugh eased Jorgensen's tension. Tossing her gray-black ponytail, she clapped her Minister on the shoulder. "Relax, Jorgensen! We know where our loyalty lies, and ain't no extra money will change that. We owe our creation and funding to you" She turned to the other Hellhounds. "You pay us well enough, I say. The Zerg are coming, and Xavier may come for us too. You know what that means, Hellhounds! Lock and load, because we've got a fight or two on our hands. The _Fenris _is still ours. We'll use it to mobilize. The _Dire Wolf _has heavier guns, but we've got the resolve to see this through." She turned to her allies. "Are you with me?"

"Yeah!" the loyalist Hellhounds cheered, raising their fists in Umojan pride. Charlotte smiled in embarrassment as she joined them, her crowd-shyness holding her back a little. The Hellhounds exited the chamber and secured transport back to a spaceport to reach the _Fenris _orbiting Umoja. _There's going to be a lot of work to do, _Charlotte mused to herself as her dropship lifted off for the waiting battlecruiser.


	3. Chapter 2

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 2**

_**Cantina, Battlecruiser **_**Fenris****_, Umoja Orbit,_**

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**November 1, 2504**_

Twangy, upbeat bluegrass played on the speakers in the dim cantina on board the _Fenris_, the music energetic and carefree. Charlotte Huang-Geroux, however, wasn't exactly sure how to feel, and the rapid music only stressed her nerves as she sat at the cantina's bar, her soft black hair bound in a yellow ribbon. The bartender, a portly balding man, scrubbed a glass beer mug with a white rag, glancing at Charlotte as she stared glumly into her half-drained glass of ale. Her overbearing mother back home would have been shocked to see her daughter drinking.

"You've been upset ever since you got here, lass," the bartender commented. "You've hardly touched your drink, either."

Charlotte jumped; the bartender hadn't spoken since she had arrived here this evening. By the ship's clock it was nearly midnight, and the lights were appropriately dim and the music turned down a little in volume. Charlotte wanted a little time to think, but nothing satisfying crossed her mind. She looked up at the bartender. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's nothing."

"If you say so," the bartender said simply, looking up at the TV screen, which was advertising Goliath model construction kits. A second later, someone new barged into the room and stomped across the floor, making his way to the bar. He settled into a seat next to Charlotte, crowding against her. He wasn't fat, but rather, his body was powerful and bulky like that of a bodybuilder... because he was one. His short blond hair, lean face, and hard chin only added to that image, and his arrogant eyes flicked to the bartender. He motioned with three fingers.

"The usual, if ya will," the man said lazily, his voice haughty. The bartender nodded and turned to retrieve a bottle from the wall, and Charlotte turned to the man.

"Trevor, can't you ever knock it off?"

The muscular Trevor blinked. "What? Knock what off?"

"That attitude of yours," Charlotte pouted, folding her arms as the bartender poured Trevor's drink.

"What's wrong with it? I'm one of the top agents of the Hellhounds," Trevor boasted. "I can act like it if I want. And when the battles start up, trust me, you'll be glad I'm no timid pussy, like some people... Nick, for example?"

Gut writhing in sudden anger, Charlotte jabbed a finger into Trevor's hard abs. "Just because you outperform most other Reapers out there doesn't make you better than anyone else," she hissed. "You're part of a team, a family! Family members don't look down on each other like that."

Trevor accepted his drink and down it in one go. "Well, I'm just saying it as it is, Charlotte," he insisted. "I'm just as surprised as you are by this sudden split among the Hellhounds, but hey, we're the best. No Zerg bastard or lackey of Xavier's can touch us!"

"You'd better mean that," Charlotte warned him, "or your ego will fall along with the rest of you. Watch yourself."

"I don't need watching," Trevor smirked. "I can survive anything. You know what I can do. Ah, I'm tired of this place. Might find something else to do. Good night to ya." He stood and clapped Charlotte on the shoulder and walked off.

Charlotte watched Trevor's retreating back. As a part of the commando force of the Hellhounds, he pushed himself to the limit to become the fast, deadly warrior he was expected to be. Charlotte always admired hard work... but his boastful ego tainted that somewhat. Another person entered the bar, and the newcomer nervously avoided eye contact with Trevor before taking the other seat next to Charlotte.

"Evening, Nick," Charlotte smiled and greeted her friend.

"You're burning the midnight oil, aren't you?" Nick smiled back as the music speakers changed to another tune.

Charlotte took a sip of her drink, the alcohol burning her throat a little. "But aren't you, too?"

"It's my head acting up again," Nick said tensely, gripping his head in his left hand, his fingers running through his ear-length dark blond hair. His bright blue eyes narrowed and he clenched his teeth. "Another strange headache. It feels like my mind is turning into mist, and scrambling itself in a million different pieces."

"Well, maybe a little something to put the pieces together in one thick lump?" Charlotte smiled, motioning for the bartender to get Nick something.

Nick winced. "Yeah, alcohol gets rid of my headaches... and gives me a hangover to replace it later! Well, maybe I can at least enjoy the flavor." He accepted a brandy and drank half of it, wincing again. "Wow, that burns..."

"That's the fun of it," Charlotte laughed, but her laughter died down quickly and she awkwardly turned away a little.

Leaning closer, Nick asked, "Never mind me. Is something bothering you?"

"N... no," Charlotte lied, glancing at the TV. A UNN report covered the details of evacuation among the Fringe worlds from the Zerg invaders, and the news was grim.

"Come on, Charlotte. Ever since I saw you join the Hellhounds two years ago, I knew you only as a happy, energetic gal," Nick cajoled her gently. "Normally you take on any challenge with a cocky one-liner and fire up your engines. What's the matter?"

Charlotte shivered, but not from the room's air-conditioner temperature. "I... well, it feels like massive entities are moving all around me, powerful forces, and there's nothing I can do to stop them. I'm scared."

Nick blinked. "I thought I was the one with weird sensations in the brain..."

"No, I mean the Zerg, the Dominion army, the shadowy Protoss, all of them," Charlotte continued. "What are we, Nick? Just wild frontier mercs with a floating fort and a few hundred troops. I've seen the reports of millions of Zerg overwhelming humanity, the unrelenting strength and will of Mengsk, the cunning and mysterious movements of the Protoss forces..."

His expression gentle, Nick leaned closer to Charlotte and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "Don't you worry about a thing, Charlotte. Worrying 'bout those things isn't going to make them go away, but don't feel like you have to take on the world by yourself! Us Hellhounds, the loyal ones, we're sticking together and Jorgensen's got our backs. Humanity has faced the Zerg before, and we can handle them again."

"I-I don't even know," Charlotte trembled. She suddenly felt very tired. "One minute I thought everything was okay, then Kerrigan's Zerg come back and Xavier leaves us for Mengsk, blinded by money. What if something even worse comes up next? What could we possibly do?"

"Hey, even if no one else does, I'll be there for you. You can count on that," Nick told Charlotte firmly in her ear. "Look, I'm just a tank jock and all, but if you ever need anything... I can help."

"Do you mean that?" Charlotte asked. In the two years she had known Nick, he had been a kind friend but had never said anything like this.

"Don't worry, it isn't the alcohol talking. I mean it," Nick grinned and let Charlotte go. He grimaced and held his head, taking a few deep breaths before speaking again. "As your friend, I'll be by your side until the end." He offered a hand and Charlotte clasped it, comforted by the warmth of Nick's hand.

"Next thing I know, you'll sweep me off my feet and carry me off toward some sunset," Charlotte teased him.

"I-I, uh, maybe! I mean, that's just silly," Nick stuttered awkwardly, and Charlotte couldn't help a giggle. "This war's just starting. It'll get worse before it gets better. No getting around that."

Charlotte toyed with her hair ribbon to distract herself. "I guess. But still... thanks for the little pep talk. I guess I'll fire up that engine and take it to 'em, huh?"

"That's the Charlotte I know," Nick beamed, until he seized his head again and gritted his teeth, holding back a loud grunt in pain. His fingers tightened on his head, his chest heaving.

Alarmed, Charlotte bolted to her feet and took hold of Nick's arms, trying to calm him down. "Are you okay? Maybe we should get you to the infirmary."

Nick heaved several deep breaths before he finally settled down, raising his head to look up at his friend with restless eyes. "N-no, it's okay, thanks. I just need to lie down and relax, that's all. I guess I'm more tired than I thought, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess. Good night," Charlotte said simply as her friend wandered out of the cantina, but she couldn't help feeling a rush of concern as she watched her friend's retreating back. _Why do I get the feeling that he's hiding something? All these headaches, migraines, loss of coordination, confusion... what does it all mean? Well... he'll tell me when he's ready. Right?_

*o*o*o*o*

_**Weapons testing center, Augustgrad, Korhal,**_

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**November 4, 2504**_

A cluster of uniformed men stood on the edge of a vast grassy expanse, the ground artificially flat. Military buildings stood behind the men, with radar dishes and other communication equipment constantly broadcasting and receiving information vital to the Dominion. Overhead, a squad of sleek, pointy vehicles roared through the air, maneuvering gracefully like fish darting about in a stream. Thin white contrails streaked from their wingtips, the vehicles curving and swooping as a tight-knit team through complex maneuvers. Then, as a practice target emerged from the flat ground's depths, the vehicles whooshed by with a scream of the engines, then all loosed a handful of missiles. The missiles arced through the air and peppered the target, swallowing it in blossoms of fire and smoke.

Colonel Falcon clapped his hands at the display, and next to him, Xavier Daniels folded his arms together and squinted against the Korhal sun to watch the Vikings on their test run. Swooping gracefully past the explosions, the Vikings kept in formation and curved higher into the sky as though to evade return fire by an enemy.

"Impressive beasts, aren't they?" Falcon shouted over the howl of engines. "The finest aircraft in the Dominion fleet!"

"Hot damn, I'll say!" Xavier grinned fiercely, his eyes not leaving the Vikings. "I could use a few of those babies on my air force."

"Vikings _are _difficult to manufacture, you know," Falcon reminded him, "and it's even more difficult to train pilots for them."

Xavier gave Falcon a firm look. "That may be, but my flyboys are the best the Umojan Protectorate has to offer, and our Wraiths are starting to get old and rusty. Mengsk is paying top dollar to have my troops at his side. Why not give them the equipment to make them worth the money?"

"Well, I suppose that is true," Falcon mused, rubbing his chin. Overhead, the Vikings swooped back down to the ground, flatting out their flight paths to fly parallel to the earth. "Tell you what, you give me a trial of your best pilots in action, and I'll decide if they're ready for Vikings. By what my pilots tell me, they're like no other ride out there."

As he spoke, the Vikings, five in total, slowed nearly to a halt and began to unfold. Their armor plates, wings, and thrust ports adjusted and re-aligned, two reverse-joint legs unfolding from within the fuselage. Xavier watched in awe as each Viking cooled down its engines and landed on its legs, and Gatling guns emerged from the shoulders of each craft. The lumbering bipeds marched heavily over to the cluster of onlookers, standing at least twenty-five feet high. From inside his cockpit, the pilot of the lead Viking tilted his craft's nose down and gave a salute that Falcon and Xavier returned.

"Oh, that never ceases to amaze me," Falcon stated. "Air or ground, the Viking can handle anything. The tactical flexibility is unmatched."

"Which is why I'd love to paint the Hellhounds logo on some of them," Xavier prodded.

Falcon couldn't resist a smile. "Good lord, you _are _insistent, but reasonably so. I look forward to what our combined armies can do together. You'll get your test flights with Vikings... and I will get your full cooperation. Understood?"

"Perfectly," Xavier nodded as the Vikings turned and lumbered off again, chasing after new targets that popped out of the ground.

"We must not forget why such war machines are necessary," Falcon mused as the Vikings' Gatling guns rattled to life, their bullets tearing into the dummy targets. "With the Zerg and Protoss out there, no human is truly safe, not without vanguards like us watching out for the people of the Dominion. A lot of folks are counting on us, and we're not going to fail them. Not now, not ever."

Fishing something out of his pocket, Xavier mumbled, "Yeah. They're counting on us." In his hand, he held a gold locket with a curly L engraved on it, and Xavier swallowed past a sudden lump in his throat as he clenched the trinket tight. _Leanne, dear, I hope you're watching from wherever you are. What happened to you on Tarsonis during the Great War ain't gonna happen again! _Just before the Zerg had overwhelmed Tarsonis, Xavier and his wife had lived in the Confederacy, and Xavier had briefly left his wife to visit the Umojan Protectorate to consider moving there and starting a mercenary force. Then... the Zerg arrived. _It's all my fault you died, Leanne. The least I can do is slaughter the Zerg with the army I created._

The Vikings continued to fire, and Xavier tried to imagine every bullet tearing apart Zerg monsters on the battlefield... and the traitorous Hellhounds who refused to fight with him against humanity's greatest threat.


	4. Chapter 3

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 3**

_**Sentry Point outskirts, Icarus IV,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**November 13, 2504**_

_Just what kind of bored person named this outpost "Sentry Point"? _Charlotte couldn't help but wonder as she zoomed around the town's outskirts in her modified hellion, the vehicle's engine whine the only sound she could hear. The inky black sky was spotted with countless stars that shone like jewels, but there was no moon outside tonight and Charlotte had to rely on her hellion's headlights to see a darn thing. At least Sentry Point had some lights: as one of several scouting outposts on Icarus IV, it had many towers that contained advanced sensors and mundane floodlights, as well as a host of hellion and vulture scout vehicles. In the wake of the first Zerg invasion of humanity, Jorgensen had created a network of scouting facilities on every Umojan world for maximum security. Every facility had a slightly different name, some more creative than others, and "Sentry Point" ranked near the bottom of imaginative titles.

As it turned out, Miranda assumed leadership of the Hellhounds still loyal to Jorgensen, and she felt compelled to reinforce Icarus IV's garrison with some Hellhounds, seeing as the world lay closer to Zerg space than Umoja or Osten's Moon. Charlotte appreciated the quiet and comforting nature of this agricultural world, but she couldn't help but feel a little... antsy.

"This is Team 1, we have reached checkpoint 3," Charlotte lazily reported in, keying into the comm channel of Sentry Point. "No unusual activity detected. Heading to checkpoint 4 now. Yup."

A deep voice crackled back, "Take this seriously, Team 1 lead. We must maintain constant vigilance. Your team is the one on rotation right now, and we're counting on you."

"Yes, I know," Charlotte stifled a yawn. "But does my shift have to be so _late_?" Her dashboard clock read 1:48 AM, and the four other hellion drivers on her team were similarly fatigued.

"At no point will the Umojan Protectorate's borders be left unguarded!" the voice boomed. "Do your duty, Charlotte Hang-Geroux."

"That's _Huang_," Charlotte snapped back as her hellion drove across a grassy expanse. "It's Chinese. Say it right."

Grumbling, the voice signed off and left Charlotte alone again. Indeed, her father Lin Huang was Chinese, and he made for a hell of a nicer parent than his wife, Andrea Geroux. No matter how many times Charlotte reflected on her memory, it was usually her father who had made her happy and her mother who pushed her to excel in academics at the expense of everything else. _"You are a free spirit, Charlotte,"_ Lin had once fondly told his daughter. _"Don't let anything change that."_

"_But mother hates me. She wants to cage me in some college and make me get good grades just to make her look like a good parent!" _Charlotte had snapped back.

Lin had sighed patiently. _"Your mother is a hard woman, but I love her and she and I both love you. We just... have some different methods. She only wants what's best for you."_

"_I already know what's best for me, dad," _Charlotte had replied. _"I want to get out there and actually explore life rather than study books and write papers all my life. I hear that a mercenary corps might be formed soon, here in the Umojan Protectorate. Maybe I'll join them! I'd love to drive a fast vehicle, like those hellions."_

With a chuckle, Lin had replied, _"Well... we'll see."_

"I'll see, all right," Charlotte muttered to herself as she fiddled with her steering wheel to stay on course. "Ain't done nothin' yet. This is just the start."

"What, sir?" one of Charlotte's teammates asked. "I thought I picked up something on the comm."

Charlotte flinched. "N-nothing. Just talking to myself." _Sheesh, what's got me wound up? Maybe it's the fatigue. Now it's 1:56! Do I look like a night owl?_

As checkpoint 4 drew near, someone suddenly said, "Man, the stars are twinkling like crazy. I think they're as restless as we are!"

_Huh? _Charlotte craned her neck up, observing the night sky through her hellion's canopy glass. Indeed, the stars started to twinkle and flicker rapidly, much more so than Icarus IV's atmosphere should make them do. The strangest thing was, it seemed like the area of disturbance was moving across the sky, descending from higher reaches down to the horizon. It was almost like a fleet of ships was descending through the atmosphere to land on Icarus IV, but no flights were scheduled to arrive at this time, and Charlotte had never seen a fleet of so many small ships.

Then it hit her.

"Guess who's come knocking on our door, guys?" Charlotte spoke on the comm, her voice suddenly strong and alert.

"Um... the pizza guy?" someone joked feebly.

"Yeah, if the Zerg decided to ever serve us anything!" Charlotte warned, her pulse starting to race. She tapped into the Sentry Point network. "This is Team 1, reporting in! I have multiple Zerg sightings, dropping from the air to the ground. Repeat, we have Zerg incoming!"

The deep voice returned with a burst of static. "Team 1, are you sure about this?"

Before Charlotte could answer, her radar suddenly blared and multiple red dots appeared on the screen, countless bogeys zeroing in on her scout team. Overhead, the sound of membranous wings fluttering and rustling in the air preceded a hailstorm of organic thorns whistling through the air, striking the ground at random. Charlotte jerked her steering wheel hard to the left, her hellion's tires screeching as the scout vehicle swerved sharply to the side. She was just in time: three more mutalisks fluttered by, their mouths spitting out hardened projectiles that thudded into the ground where Charlotte's hellion just was.

"We can't take 'em out, Charlotte!" someone yelped. "Our flamethrowers can't aim up that high!"

"So, we go back where folks _can _shoot up," Charlotte reminded him, yanking her steering wheel again. The other four hellions followed as she made a wide U-turn, her wheels churning up dirt and clumps of grass. The mutalisks curved back for another pass, but Charlotte didn't plan to give them a chance. Ramming her gas pedal right to the floor, she made the engine roar as she tore across the ground at high speed. The mutalisks charged right at her team, spitting out their glaive wurm projectiles everywhere. One hellion's pilot shouted as his vehicle's left front wheel was punctured by a glaive wurm, his hellion spinning out of control. The mutalisks swooped down on him like vultures, their rapid glaive wurms tearing his vehicle apart. The other hellions ignited their flames to hit back, but the mutalisks flitted higher into the air and let the fires whoosh through empty space.

_Not so fast, bastards! _Charlotte cursed, wrenching her hellion around to face the retreating creatures. They were fast, but Charlotte's HUD computers got a hard lock on one of them and she didn't hesitate to click the buttons on her steering wheel. Four guided missiles shot out of Charlotte's hellion and exploded on the targeted mutalisk, the resulting fireball briefly turning the night into an orange-hued day. The wave of hot air buffeted the surviving mutalisks and threw them off-course, and they screeched in protest to the heat.

"Now, while we have them stunned!" Charlotte roared, revving her hellion back up to maximum speed and bolting after Sentry Point. "Form up on me! We're not giving them another chance!"

The other three hellions quickly obeyed, but Charlotte's mind raced. _I saw hundreds of contacts in the air! There's got to be much more than this pack of mutas. _Her stomach churned. _The Zerg have been known to use organic drop-pods for ground forces. They're making a serious incursion here!_

The mutalisks indeed gave chase as Charlotte's group raced back to Sentry Point, but luckily the missile turrets got a hard lock on the incoming alien fliers. More fireballs blossomed in the sky as the turrets' missiles obliterated the creatures, but the Zerg had one more surprise waiting for the ground troops pouring out of Sentry Point's bunkers. Not only did hundreds of zerglings pop out of the ground and go on a rampage, but several strange, unfamiliar beasts emerged as well. As she popped a zergling with her autocannon turret, Charlotte caught a quick glimpse at the new Zerg strain, eyeing the nearest specimen.

She could only described it as a giant membranous slug with armor plates running down its back, along with several short legs that let it skitter around like a fat centipede. Its head was small and skull-like with two yellow glowing eyes, one on each side of its head. Tentacles hung down from its drooling mouth that twitched compulsively.

It was definitely one of the ugliest things Charlotte had ever seen.

"Raaaah!" Charlotte made a howl as she drove by one of the strange new creatures, noting how it left a trail of thick green slime wherever it moved. As the battle unfolded, Charlotte slid her crosshairs onto the creature and achieved a hard lock. A quartet of missiles roared out of her hellion's launchers, but sensing the danger, a cluster of zerglings scampered in the way and took the attack instead. They were blown to pieces, but the slug-monster took its chance to burrow into the earth like a mole.

By now, several siege tanks, Goliath walkers, and platoons of infantry units marched out of Sentry Point's buildings, holding the zerglings at bay. It seemed that the human defenders carried the advantage... until the slug monsters did their thing. To Charlotte's amazement, the burrowed slug monster emerged from the ground nearby, in a completely different location than where it had burrowed.

_What? Did that thing tunnel underground or something? _Charlotte wondered, but she had no more time to think. The creature tensed its muscles and shot out what looked like a chameleon tongue from its neck, a long fleshy whip that slammed into Charlotte's hellion canopy glass. To her horror, the tongue's tip had multiple mouths filled with sharp teeth, all of which gnawed furiously at the glass to get inside the cockpit and reach Charlotte. She tried to shake the thing off, but the cord-like tongue held the hellion steady as the jaws broke into the cockpit. Charlotte felt her throat tighten in fear as the jaws reached for her head –

"What d'you think you're doing?" a familiar voice demanded, and the jaw-tongue squealed and retreated out of Charlotte's cockpit as its host slug-monster took a hit. The creature hissed and squirmed, its left haunch torn open by a siege tank's point-blank cannon shot. The cannons of the marauding siege tank's cannons were still smoking, and the slug-monster shuffled away and burrowed back underground.

"Th-thanks for that, Nick," Charlotte breathed, her heart still hammering as she drove far away from the creature's last location. "Just what the hell was that?"

The turret of Nick's tanks swiveled. "Dunno, Charlotte. But they're nasty as – what the?"

Another of the slug-monsters ambushed a siege tank, and like the first one, it extended a tongue-like apparatus from its neck at the tank. The jaws on the tongue chewed right through the tank's neosteel plating, reaching into the cockpit. Charlotte assumed that the tongue's jaws had killed the tank pilot, but she was wrong: suddenly, the tank swiveled its turret and fired on several marines, blowing them sky-high with its high-explosive rounds.

"What the hell are ya doin'?" one of the marines bellowed on the comm, but the tank pilot ignored him and fired again, this time blasting the leg off a Goliath walker. The biped war machine toppled over and collapsed heavily to the ground, and several nearby zerglings promptly swarmed over it and tore it apart.

"That slug... it's possessing the tank driver! Controlling him!" Nick yelped. His cannon vaporized a pair of zerglings that came too close to his tank.

"It infected him... _infested _him," Charlotte muttered in horror. "That creature is like an infestor of sorts."

"Well... that thing needed a christening anyway," Nick joked nervously. "So, we're dealing with infestors here?"

Charlotte served to avoid a zergling, and her autocannon turret shredded a second one. "Sure, sure. Just smoke 'em!"

Nick did just that: a squad of marines covered his tank's flank, and he rolled forward on his treads and aimed his guns at the infestor controlling the rogue tank. With a loud roar of explosive shells, Nick's cannons blew open the infestor's exposed flesh, spilling its organs on the dirt. The infestor threw back its head and screeched horribly, but Charlotte got close and gave it hell with her missiles. The injured monster was blown to cinders and its cord tongue relaxed, going limp like a garden hose. The rogue tank stopped moving entirely, and Charlotte was unable to hail the pilot inside.

"That tongue had jaws. Probably tore the pilot's head off once the infestor was doomed," Charlotte noted grimly. "Damn, Nick, just what have we gotten ourselves into?"

"Somethin' awful, I say," Nick commented. Luckily, the loss of an infestor seemed to discourage the other Zerg, and once another infestor was slain and more human reinforcements arrived from Sentry Point, the Zerg troops had had enough. They scampered off into the night, leaving only mangled corpses behind.

Unable to take her eyes off the hole in her canopy glass, Charlotte brought her hellion to a halt, shifting it to park mode. Her body was slick with sweat, her hands shaking. "Everyone okay?"

"We're here, sir," reported Charlotte's teammates. "But we got 'em! Sent the Zerg running, just like that!"

"No way," Charlotte shook her head. "That was just a little scout force, and the Zerg have some new players on their team. Don't get happy just yet."

"I... I'm getting reports from all over Icarus IV," the deep-voiced Sentry Point officer addressed everyone nervously on the comm. "It's not just us: the Zerg are all over the planet, advance teams attacking every human settlement this rock has. Kerrigan wants us all dead."

"Well, she's forgetting one thing," Charlotte smirked, her usual cheer re-emerging. "We're not going to just roll over and die for her!"

*o*o*o*o*

_**Ship bridge, Carrier **_**Epiphany of Light,**

_**Fringe worlds space,**_

_**November 13, 2504**_

The Protoss carrier gliding through dark, silent space gave an aura of not menace or power, but one of purpose and iron will. At least, that's what the ship's captain, Azaru, felt as he oversaw his vessel's voyage into human space. Standing at his full but rather short height, the gray-skinned humanoid held his hands tightly behind his back a little tighter than normal out of nerves. His glowing blue eyes squinted slightly as he read the thoughts of his shipmates through the Khala: _Now we find out of Azaru's quest is one of destiny or folly, _was the common thought among the _Epiphany of Light_'s crew.

"Be steady, my brothers and sisters. Coming here this far from our home was not a mistake," Azaru said out loud rather loudly, making a few crew members jump. He ran a hand through his braided hair that fell down his back, his feet making thumping sounds as he strode closer to the navigators. An amulet hung on a platinum chain draped around his neck, but the rounds piece was cracked, deliberately damaged by the Protoss elders as a mark of Azaru's past failures and brash actions.

Taking his mind off that, Azaru stood over the shoulder of the chief navigator, an elderly woman named Chusar. "Have we been detected?"

"No, captain," Chusar shook her head. Her three-fingered hands never left the holographic control board before her. "In fact, no Terran vessels have been detected anywhere nearby. I would have expected a defense fleet around here. After all..."

"We have entered the Fringe worlds region of Terran space," Azaru finished for her. "The area being hit hardest by the Zerg right now."

"Perhaps the Dominion fleets do not wish to waste their time with frivolous work," a junior navigator offered, his tone nasty. "They'd rather turn tail and sit comfortably at home rather than answer the summons of their duty!"

The junior navigator suddenly yelped and clutched at his head as Azaru glared at him and unwittingly released a painful psionic jab into the younger Protoss' brain. "I will not tolerate talk like that on my ship!" he barked. "That goes for the rest of you. I am being given a second chance, and no one here will interfere with that. I will return to Shakuras as a hero, not a miserable dog."

The elders of Shakuras had started to show a keen interest in Xel'Naga artifacts, and it was in fact they who convinced the other Protoss to allow Azaru a second chance at glory by finding some without the help of the other Protoss search teams. _I stood by my master Tassadar's side when he refused to glass a Terran world, _Azaru reflected. _I am a servant of the Khala and a pure child of Aiur, not a butcher like the Zerg! How could the Conclave declare Tassadar, me, and the rest of his officers as traitors to the cause against the Zerg? Inconceivable!_

Azaru shook his head again. _No. I told myself I would not dwell on this. I'll show the others that a massacre is not the only way to get something done._

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **Kudos to anyone who can identify which TV show character Azaru is modeled after!


	5. Chapter 4

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 4**

_**Upper atmosphere, Korhal,**_

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**November 25, 2504**_

"With all due respect, sir, don't you think this plan is completely _insane?"_

On a communications screen in the cargo bay of one of two Hellhounds dropships entering Korhal's atmosphere, Miranda only smiled at the speaker, a Hellhounds Vulture pilot. "That's the whole point of doing this, my dear! Mengsk would _never _expect us to do something this daring and suicidal, so he will be slow to react to this little expedition. Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Fun?" another Hellhound scout responded disbelievingly. Charlotte sat nearby, too busy holding her stomach against her motion-sickness to say much. She too felt uneasy about making a covert drop and raid on the capital of the Dominion this early into the conflict, but Miranda had the experience and expertise to take charge and make the most of it. If she wanted to take a raid force to Mengsk's capital world and carry out a mission, then the Hellhounds would sure as hell do it... despite the complaints of certain death. She could pull this off with a small covert force, but only barely.

"Just keep the mission goal in mind," Miranda encouraged everyone as she fiddled with her black ponytail on the screen. "This is a testing center for some new war vehicle Mengsk has been cooking up. We set up a diversion to let a raid force get past the external guard force and into the testing facility and make away with the schematics and preferably, a few samples of the technology too. The raid force will still have to deal with the base's internal security, but they can handle that. Then we high-tail it right back to the _Fenris _and we get back to Umojan space. We're needed back at Icarus IV. The Zerg are laying more pressure on that planet by the day."

_No lie, _Charlotte thought. _That initial Zerg excursion on the 13__th__ was barely a taste of what the Zerg intend to do to the Protectorate. Jorgensen needs us back home! This mission had better not take long. I wonder what role I will play?_

"So, Charlotte," Miranda said with a sudden and mischievous smile that Charlotte didn't like, turning to face the young Hellhound. "Are you ready to lead the diversion team?"

*o*o*o*o*

_**Testing facility grounds, Korhal,**_

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**November 25, 2504**_

Rolling her modified hellion across the sun-baked dirt of the testing facility's front grounds, Charlotte decided that her stomach wouldn't settle down until she was out of here. Here she had to get the enemy's attention and keep it for as long as the raid force needs her to, and it was her butt on the line the whole time! Charlotte gripped her hellion's steering wheel a little tighter, careful not to accidentally trigger the weapons as she steered closer to the looming facility situated on a remote area of Korhal. _Here goes nothing!_

Behind Charlotte rode a half-dozen other hellion vehicles along with an equal number of Vulture hover bikes. Simple tactics: use fast, light vehicles to avoid enemy fire and stay alive long enough to make the diversion worthwhile. Still... Charlotte shuddered as she thought of the Vulture's habit of exploding from internal failure, even without enemy fire. She was bound to lose a few people today unless she got clever.

"Ready to roll?" Charlotte keyed into her group's comm, and a dozen voices responded in the affirmative. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte drove up a service ramp onto an empty dropship landing pad and took a look around. The facility's main building was a ten-story square with countless windows and storage tanks along its walls and several wide satellite dishes rested on the roof. Two long, narrow side halls sprouted from either end, probably containing many small laboratories inside. Finally, a huge silo rested near the main building, and although Charlotte didn't know what was being stored in that neosteel cylinder, she was sure it wasn't grain.

"Identify yourselves, intruders!" a sudden, stern voice barked on Charlotte's comm. She drove close to a tall, chain-link fence that encircled the whole facility. Bunkers, trenches, and missile turrets lay beyond.

Charlotte keyed back on the comm and taunted, "Hey, it's us, your friendly neighborhood Hellhounds! Want to roll out the welcoming mat?"

The voice was confused and Charlotte saw several Goliath combat walkers and marine platoons march towards her team. "What? Xavier never told us he was garrisoning this facility. Who are you? What's your name and rank?"

"Oh, you must have confused me with someone else," Charlotte laughed with a humor she didn't feel. "We're the _loyal _Hellhounds, the ones who didn't betray the Umojan Protectorate for the Dominion!"

"You damn mercenaries don't know what you're doing!" the voice raged. "Stand down at once! This is your only warning!"

Charlotte merely ignored him and brought her team closer to the fence, and she got a signal from the raid force that they were ready to go. A second later, the whole chain-link fence suddenly sank into the ground by the work of underground machinery, and the facility defense force came surging forth. The bunkers suddenly spat fire from their firing windows, machine gun fire and Marauder grenades alike flying in every direction. The Goliath walkers stomped heavily across the dusty ground on their wide feet, their arm-mounted autocannons filling the air with their heavy armor-piercing shells.

Suddenly feeling excited again, Charlotte whooped as she pushed her throttle to maximum and swerved to the side, letting Goliath autocannon shells tear into the ground where she had once been. Curving sharply to the side, Charlotte got a lock on the nearest Goliath and pressed the button with trembling fingers. Four missiles streaked out of Charlotte's hellion just as the Goliath turned to shoot again. Charlotte swerved to the side again, tires kicking up clouds of dust as she took off. The Goliath's autocannons riddled the dry dirt ground, but then Charlotte's missiles connected. Bright fireballs blossomed on the Goliath's torso and blasted chunks of armor everywhere, the legs wobbling from the kinetic force. The walker stayed standing as the smoke cleared, but its body armor was gone and its left arm blown away.

The marines scattered wide and swarmed the air with Gauss bullets, so the hellions and Vultures of the diversion team swerved to minimize the damage. Two Vultures vanished in sudden blossoms of fire, but the rest of them arced across the ground and triggered their weapons. The nearest bunker spat out a steady stream of Marauder grenades, but the speeding Vultures glided into combat formation and launched a cluster of high-power grenades at the flat bunker. The grenades exploded right at one of the firing windows and half of the bunker was blown apart, flinging two flaming Marauders into the air. Two other Marauders climbed out of the bunker, their movements clumsy because of the size of their bulky armor suits. The enraged Marauders raised their arms and flung Punisher grenades at the Vultures, but the hover bikes were long gone.

The other hellions charged straight at the marine formations, one of them succumbing to the combined small-arms fire. All the rest of the hellions got recklessly close to the marines, forcing them to scatter to make room and avoid getting splattered. As they passed, the hellions rotated their flamethrower turrets and let loose. Long tongues of yellow-orange fire lit up the air, washing over several unfortunate marines and melted their armor into messes of molten metal. The marines swung around and fired at the retreating hellions, but the crafty vehicles curved away and avoided further harm.

_Everything's going according to plan, _Charlotte reassured herself as she avoided the fire from a nearby bunker. _The raid team should be on its way. _Chancing a quick look, Charlotte watched as the second Hellhounds dropship glided low and fast across the ground, headed right for the front doors of the facility. As soon as it got within range, the ship opened its back hatch and a group of eight or so Reapers piled out. Firing up their nitro packs, the Reapers vaulted high into the air and landed a few meters shy of the front doors. They tossed a few mines at the door and leaped back, taking to the air on their nitro packs to get out of harm's way. A second later, a chain of detonations blasted a hole in the wall where the doors once had been. The Reapers landed and charged right in, each one raising a pair of heavy Scythe pistols to take care of the facility's security guards.

A sudden impact lurched Charlotte's stomach. A few Marauders and marines climbed out of a nearby trench and aimed at Charlotte, and one Punisher grenade had landed rather close to her hellion and nearly flung it into the air. The hellion's back wheels landed back on the ground and Charlotte swerved to the side, letting Gauss bullets miss her by a large margin. She fired up her autocannon turret and its bullets tore into two marines standing next to each other, discouraging the rest. They retreated back into the trench.

The battle progressed but the Reaper force didn't come back from the facility yet. _Come on, guys, where are you? _Charlotte thought frantically as she searched for the Reapers to come back with the Dominion's weapon schematics in their hot little hands. Her diversion force was suffering: more hellions and Vultures had gone down, and the defense force was getting used to fighting hit-and-run enemies. Charlotte winced as a Goliath's autocannon tore into her hellion's right side armor, but she couldn't stop fighting yet.

The Goliath she had damaged earlier had been taken down, and this one seemed bent on revenge. The biped war machine chased after Charlotte as fast as it could, repeatedly spraying its autocannon rounds everywhere, each volley getting closer and closer to the mark. Charlotte growled and thought about turning around to shoot back, but she couldn't afford to hold still. Trouble came to her: up ahead, several marines and Marauders popped out of a trench and doused her with heavy fire. Charlotte curved away from their fire but they blocked Charlotte from getting any further.

The Goliath quickly caught up, its own autocannon fire filling the air that the infantry fire missed. Charlotte hastily sent her autocannon turret's bullets at the infantry and tore apart a Marauder from head to foot, but another Marauder's Punisher grenade blew armor off her hellion's left side and threw off her balance. Her hellion spun out of control...

Until three other hellions arrived and bathed the infantry in their fire, wiping out the whole group. The Goliath aimed its guns to take out the hellions, but then the Hellhounds Vultures appeared and flung all their grenades at the walker's right leg. A cluster of explosions tore the leg right off at the knee, sending the Goliath toppling. It crashed right onto its side and Charlotte's four missiles combined with more Vulture grenades took it out for good.

"There! They did it!" a hellion pilot cried, and Charlotte snapped her eyes to the testing facility. Five Reapers came back out, one of them holding what looked like a metal suitcase under his arm. The Reapers double-timed all the way back to their dropship, gliding into the troop bay on their jetpacks.

"Diversion team, back to our dropship! We've got no further business here," Charlotte told her group at once, and the survivors wheeled around and shot back to the other dropship at top speed. Goliath autocannon rounds, marine Gauss bullets, and Punisher grenades chased after the retreating Hellhounds but none reached the mark. Charlotte held her breath as the waiting troop bay of her dropship drew near, and she pressed her foot down on the gas pedal even though it was fully depressed already. With a whine of the engines, Charlotte's mangled hellion roared into the troop bay and rolled right to the end, making room for the others. One by one, the rest of the hellions and Vultures raced into the cargo bay and the bay door swiftly snapped closed behind the last hellion. With a rumble of the engines, the dropship lifted off and the pilot told Charlotte in her comm that they were well on their way.

"Whew! Great job guys, we really showed them how it's done, huh?" Charlotte cheered breathlessly into her comm and she got a flurry of cheers as a response. She sighed and settled back in her seat, annoyed at how sweaty her jumpsuit felt and how achy her body was. _I could go for a cold shower right now!_

Only a minute later, the dropship suddenly jerked and banked to the left, and the pilot's panicked voice burst onto Charlotte's comm. "We're hit! Dominion Vikings have arrived and are opening fire!"

"Evade them!" Charlotte barked back without even thinking; she had no authority over the ship's pilot, but she hated feeling trapped and helpless. The dropship's engines whined louder and sputtered from the strain as the ship swerved side to side, scooting around the hellions and Vultures in the troop bay. For a minute, Charlotte hoped that her craft had escaped harm... but with a final shudder, she felt a plummeting sensation and the pilot's response confirmed it: the ship was going down.

"Brace for impact!" Charlotte barked, and not a moment too soon. With a jarring thud, the dropship slammed back to the earth and skidded, slowly rolling over onto its side. The bay door snapped open to let the passengers escape, but the bay crumpled and caved in, crushing the hellions and Vultures inside like empty soda cans. _Like hell I'll die like this! Give me freedom! _Charlotte raged in her head, and fortunately the dropship's tumbling positioned her hellion to face the open bay door. Slamming her foot on the gas once again, Charlotte rocketed out of the dropship and raced across the dry earth just in time to avoid the dropship's fuel tank explosion that oblitering the whole craft.

Four Viking craft bearing the red arm-and-whip insignia of the Dominion buzzed through the sky like hungry vultures, watching over Charlotte's crashed dropship. She zoomed over to the other crashed Hellhounds dropship, aware that the Reapers with the data packet had been inside. Moving fast before the Vikings deployed to ground mode, Charlotte parked by the dropship and opened her hellion's canopy, running over to the flaming ruins and through a hole in the hull. "Hey! Anybody! Let's get out of here!" she shouted, but only mangled corpses were inside to greet her.

"Damn it!" Charlotte cursed, stomping a foot, her breathing heavy and her heart and mind racing. _What do I do? I've got no way out of here! _Still, she found the suitcase-like data packet and held it to her chest. _Well, if they're going to capture me, I might as well look important! They'll find this data anyway. Then again, I might..._

She felt dread as a Viking settled to the earth and unfolded its fuselage piece by piece, deploying to ground mode. Two reverse-joint legs emerged from the lower fuselage and the feet landed firmly on the earth, and two Gatling guns emerged from the shoulders as the wings folded in. Charlotte stepped out and prepared for the worst... until she beheld a red dog's head symbol against a background of a blue triangle – the logo of the Hellhounds!

"I've got a lift for you, Charlotte dear," Miranda's playful voice crackled into Charlotte's helmet comm. The cockpit canopy popped open. "You're the only survivor, right?"

Hardly believing the sight, Charlotte gulped and responded, "Y-yeah, and I've got the data. How did you get here without the Dominion forces noticing?"

The four enemy Vikings settled low and started to unfold into walk mode, surrounding Miranda's own Viking.

"I didn't," Miranda said lightly. "Get in, kid!"

Suddenly frantic, Charlotte scampered across the dirt and abandoned her modified hellion, making a mental note to have a new one made later by Bobbie the mechanic. Right now, though, she climbed up the rungs attached to Miranda's Viking's hull and clamored clumsily into the cockpit, slumping into the space behind Miranda's chair with the data packet next to her. "Made it!"

"Then we should take our leave," Miranda responded, her tone suddenly heavy. "Find something to hang onto, kid."

As she spoke, she pulled a lever on her dashboard and her Viking's engines started burning again. The Viking glided slowly into the air and Charlotte could hear its body re-arranging itself back into flight mode.

"Intruder vessel, we are ordering you to power down and surrender your vessel!" the pilot of a Dominion Viking demanded the public comm. "Or you and your vessel will be destroyed!"

"Come and get me, kiddo!" Miranda taunted him and shut off communications. With her Viking in full flight mode, she pushed her throttle to maximum and shot off into the distance, leaving the four land-mode Vikings literally in the dust.

Charlotte had one more question as the Viking took off. "Miranda, you're the CO of the loyal Hellhounds. Why are you sticking your neck out for me? It's dangerous! If you're captured..."

Miranda's good humor came back. "No one else is skilled enough to pull off a rescue like this, and besides, if the boss isn't willing to take part of the action, then does she deserve to lead? I'm as much a soldier as the rest of you."

Many military minds would disagree with that, but Charlotte admired Miranda's sense of wild freedom, a feeling that she herself cherished. "Yeah, I guess you're right."


	6. Chapter 5

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 5**

_**Testing facility grounds, Korhal,**_

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**November 25, 2504**_

Getting a kick out of high-speed combat was one thing for Charlotte, but she had never been in the cockpit of a Viking, and particularly not one in the hands of an ace pilot like Miranda. Charlotte just barely had time to seized a hold on Miranda's seat edges before the pilot throttled the Viking to full speed, and the craft shot off like a bullet. Charlotte yelped and nearly fell over backwards in the cramped cockpit, but with a thrill of adrenaline she managed to clamp her fingers on Miranda's seat and hang on. By contrast, Miranda whooped her joy as she rocketed her Viking through the air, suddenly putting a lot of distance between herself and the testing facility.

"Still got the data, kiddo?" Miranda called back, and Charlotte gulped and nodded. "The case is right here behind me, with all the data inside."

Miranda reached over and pressed another button on her dashboard. "Good. Then then hang on tight! I've gotta lose these other Vikings somehow."

Behind Miranda's Viking, the four Dominion Vikings slowly rose into the air and rapidly shifted their mainframes, retracting their legs and Gatling guns and folding out their wings. The four Vikings formed up in a diamond formation and flared up their engine ports, streaking across the sky after their target. Miranda's radar beeped and alerted her to the four enemy contacts slowly gaining ground, but the Hellhound pilot only smiled.

"Have you ever seen Augustgrad, Charlotte?" she asked, voice raised over the whine of her engines and the roar of passing air.

"No!" Charlotte cried back.

Banking her Viking slightly to the left, Miranda howled back, "Then today's your lucky day. You're about to see it close up!"

"What do you mean?" Charlotte shouted, but her stomach lurched as she suddenly realized Miranda's plan. _No! That's crazy! If we don't get captured if we don't get blown up first!_

No matter Charlotte's objections, Miranda kept her throttle on maximum and streaked through the air, letting Korhal's surface rapidly slide by far underneath. Random buildings started to appear, and then roads and billboards soon dotted the terrain. The four Dominion Vikings started to get even closer, tantalizingly close to weapons range, so Miranda bought herself a little extra time by diving and banking sharply to the right, throwing off the aim of the pursuing Viking craft. As she worked, the suburbs of Augustgrad raced past underneath her, and at last Miranda started to weave and swerve through the skyscrapers, hotels, and shopping malls of Augustgrad.

The Dominions Vikings completely lost their line of sight on Miranda's craft as the Hellhounds Viking swerved around a towering office building, but the four pursuing Vikings swooped around the structure and regained their line of sight, and they now started to get weapons locks on the Hellhounds craft. Not to be outdone, Miranda dived again and threw off her pursuers, streaking between a theater and a hotel while bobbing and ducking her craft to avoid billboards and signs. Charlotte hung on tight as Miranda navigated her Viking around a sharp corner and climbed back up into the air, juking to narrowly evade a passing hover car.

By now, Miranda managed to find her way into one of Augustgrad's air traffic lanes and she only marginally decreased her speed. Civilian hover cars and hover trucks honked and scooted out of the way as the Hellhounds Viking roared past, weaving and dodging to avoid every nearby vehicle. Sometimes the tips of the Viking's wings drew within a hair's breadth of a civilian vehicle's hull, but no contact was ever made.

"And here they come," Miranda commented out loud as her radar beeped four new contacts at her. The four Dominion Vikings zoomed through the air right above the air traffic, avoiding the civilian cars to get a speed advantage over Miranda, and they soon drew within weapon range again. Each Dominion Viking pilot armed his Lanzer torpedoes and prepared to fire them, but the four pilots held back, merely keeping up with the rogue Viking. As long as Miranda stayed so close to civilian vehicles, the pilots hesitated to fire and catch dozens of Dominion citizens in the cross-fire.

"Ha ha! They're afraid of collateral damage," Miranda exclaimed smugly as she swerved around a floating trash truck.

"But harming civilians is wrong. Of course they're holding fire!" Charlotte protested.

"Charlotte, dear, sometimes you have to do nasty things to get the job done," Miranda responded, her tone suddenly heavy. "The data you're carrying is worth a hell of a heavy price to recover. Those pilots are merely afraid of being yelled at by the families of potential civvie casualties, but there are much bigger things to fear in war."

"I... suppose," Charlotte swallowed, chilled by Miranda's nerves of steel. She recalled how her fellows had been slain back at the testing facility to acquire this data, and she wondered how Miranda felt about losing those people in her high-risk operation.

Luck ran out; Miranda tried to stay in the traffic but the traffic thinned out, suddenly exposing her craft. She dived low to escape harm and shot off to a narrow space between two office buildings, but the Dominion Vikings kept right on her tail and launched their payloads. Eight high-explosive Lanzer torpedoes whooshed through the air, leaving trails of thick white smoke in the urban forest of towers and buildings. Miranda flipped her Viking to its side and let three torpedoes whoosh by her into empty air. Two more torpedoes exploded against the office buildings, the fire blossoms sending millions of shards of glass flying everywhere. As Miranda broke free of the narrow space, the remaining three torpedoes kept up the chase.

"Still hanging on tight?" Miranda shouted to Charlotte. She didn't even wait for a response, and weaved tightly around a billboard sticking out of a tall theater complex. Two torpedoes tried to follow but the clumsy rockets hit the sign instead, blasting it into flaming pieces. The last one still streaked after Miranda's Viking, and having had enough, Miranda slapped her hand on a large red button. Two decoys popped out of her craft's rear and floated in the air, luring the Lanzer torpedo like a moth to a flame. A bright fireball resulted from the torpedo taking the bait, leaving Miranda's six free of enemy fire.

Miranda suddenly looped, gritting her teeth tight as she sharply turned her craft upwards and began to look back down on the pursuing Dominion Vikings. Caught unawares, the enemy craft could do little as Miranda got a hard lock and squeezed her joystick's triggers. Four Lanzer torpedoes whooshed out of the fuselage's ports and exploded against one enemy Viking, breaking it in half. The now-molten hunks of the Viking fell to the street far below, scattering across the pavement and deterring wheel-based cars.

The three remaining Vikings quickly reacted, shifting out of Miranda's strike range and aiming their guns to fire back. With a flourish, Miranda swooped out of range and slipped between various buildings, challenging the Dominion Vikings to follow... and they did. The three Vikings staggered themselves out and followed at top speed, fighting to keep a bead on Miranda and launch their Lanzer torpedoes. However, Miranda used not only her weaponry but the scenery: a large, heavy billboard approached, advertising zergling plushie toys. As Miranda approached it, she launched two torpedoes that exploded on the billboard's support beams. The whole structure strained and broke, and the billboard fell right on one Viking as it tried to bank and get close to Miranda's craft. The massive billboard bent and creaked as it cleaved into the Viking, but the Viking fared far worse, since it split nearly in half and caught fire, its internal Lanzer torpedoes exploding within the hull.

"Good one!" Charlotte couldn't help cheering.

"I know, right?" Miranda laughed. "Those fools just – whoa!"

The two remaining Vikings put on a boost of speed and launched their Lanzer torpedoes, the munitions streaking through the air. Miranda rolled and twisted around a building to escape them, and several torpedoes exploded against the building's edge. Another torpedo blew up a civilian transport truck and the aerial vehicle's flaming pieces rained down in the sky, and one chunk slammed into the right wing of Miranda's Viking. Miranda growled as she fought the joysticks to keep her craft steady, but then the last Lanzer torpedo blew up on her Viking's rear, blasting off armor and throwing the craft off-balance.

Charlotte yelped as she was thrown around by the momentum, her fingers wrenched off Miranda's pilot chair as she crashed into the cockpit's back wall. Her head rang and vision flickered, not to mention her stomach was a churning mess from the crazy moves Miranda was pulling. Still, she swallowed hard and trusted Miranda to get th both of them out of this mess.

"Come get me!" Miranda taunted aloud to her pursuers, narrowly slipping between two large hover trucks that passed by each other. The Dominion Vikings lost their chance to slip through the gap and instead flew over the trucks, but a surprise waited for them: Miranda had dived deep while the trucks hid what she was doing. Charlotte felt herself pressed hard against the cockpit's wall from the intense G's, but it was worth it because Miranda's twin Lanzer torpedoes caught a Viking unawares and the resulting fireball flung the Viking's pieces all over the place.

As she swerved her Viking out of the range of the other craft's guns, Miranda frowned as a new warning light appeared on her console. The torpedo hit she took earlier knocked loose a few systems in her craft, and she had only minutes until her right engine port would shut off. Getting a sudden idea, Miranda rerouted her craft's power and overrode the engine shutdown, taking a dangerous risk to keep her craft running.

"Surrender your craft and come quietly with us, Hellhound," a sudden voice growled in Miranda's ear, and her radar warned her of four new contacts coming after her fast and hard: Wraith space superiority fighters, part of the Augustgrad security force.

"Why don't you come and get me?" Miranda taunted back, and she shut off the comm and streaked off, looking for an area with good cover. The pursuing Wraiths had thinner armor and a lower flight speed than Vikings, but they had arrived close to Miranda's craft and opened fire with their weaponry. Gemini missiles streaked through the air in vicious clusters, and Miranda pushed herself to the limit to evade them. She weaved, rolled, and swerved through billboards and outcroppings on buildings to catch the enemy munitions, and missile after missile exploded on the obstacles. The Wraiths slowly fell behind, but they remained in weapon range and fired another salvo. The last Dominion Viking tagged along, adding its Lanzer torpedoes to the volley.

Gritting her teeth, Miranda twisted around a lumbering supply truck and dropped a massive amount of altitude, throwing off the missiles going after her. She sped above the crowded street below, but the Gemini missiles and their Wraith masters curved down through the air to pursue her, slowly catching up. Miranda swerved hard and took a right turn around an office building, then curved around again and went in another direction. She smiled grimly as the Gemini missiles exploded against random targets, unable to turn sharply enough to pursue. The Wraiths tried to launch another salvo, but aborted their attack when Miranda sped around a corner and fired her Lanzer torpedoes everywhere like maniac. Her torpedoes blasted two Wraiths into flaming chunks, but the other two Wraiths and single Viking recovered from the shock and fired back. Miranda rose higher into the sky to evade the shots, but the missiles exploded against nearby buildings and the debris rattled her Viking, tearing its armor and denting the craft all over. On top of that, the warning light came on again on Miranda's dashboard and she knew that she didn't have enough time.

Getting another idea, Miranda slipped through a stream of airborne traffic to throw off her pursuers, then took several erratic turns to get far ahead. Then, before the enemy craft could catch up, Miranda slowed down her Viking and eased it into a wide alleyway, unfolding her Viking to its walker mode. The dented wings retracted and the two legs came out as well as the pair of shoulder-mounted Gatling guns. As soon as the walker Viking landed and settled down, Miranda completely shut it down.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte hissed nervously.

"They won't see me like this," Miranda responded. "When I'm shut down, my craft is a lot harder to pick up on radar and they won't think to look in this dark alley. As soon as they go past this area and move on, I'll power up and fly us straight out of Augustgrad before they even know what happened. Then I get into space and get picked up by the other Hellhounds."

"How will you know when it's safe to go?"

Miranda smiled. "I'll just know."

Charlotte swallowed and nodded, but her heart hammered as she heard the Wraiths and Viking whooshing through the city. At one point, Miranda powered up her Viking and quickly returned it to flight mode, lifting off and speeding through Augustgrad once more. "I can evenly distribute my remaining power to both engines, rather than have the right one shut off and the let one get full power," Miranda explained. "That'll cut into my speed a little, but it's the only way." No one pursued her as she reached the city limits, and Miranda found solitude as she streaked straight up in the air and reached space. Either the Augustgrad security force didn't know what to make of that one Viking rocketing off, or they were too late to do anything about it. Charlotte didn't mind either way. She was safely off of Korhal, and clutched a suitcase of information that apparently was quite important.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Captain's quarters, Battlecruiser **_**Dire Wolf****_, Tarsonis Orbit,_**

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**November 28, 2504**_

"You're quite sure? The Hellhounds still loyal to Jorgensson raided Korhal and made off with data on a prototype war machine?" Xavier Daniels repeated to Colonel Falcon on his video screen. The Hellhounds CO lounged in a swivel chair in his casual clothes, a cold drink in his glass and two-day-old stubble on his chin. His sharp eyes looked tired but focused tightly on the screen in the dim room.

"Yes, Mr. Daniels, and I want to know why you weren't there!" Falcon snapped, running a hand through his blond hair.

"Miranda is a crafty and unpredictable woman. I knew her style, but not intimately," Xavier defended himself, then took a sip of his drink, the alcohol burning his throat pleasantly. "I am as shocked as you are that she would raid Korhal itself this early in the conflict! Her Hellhounds face the Zerg as well as us, but she's willing to turn her back on the Zerg threat for a moment just to beat up her fellow humans. She is to be feared."

Falcon nodded impatiently. "I agree, but what will you do? Don't forget, it's your job to defend the Dominion from both the Zerg and Miranda's Hellhounds. You must find a way to deal with them."

"I already do," Xavier smirked, then pressed a button on his keyboard. A third person joined the party, a young woman with dark eyes and darker hair in a long ponytail. She wore a Ghost uniform and might have been pretty if not for the sour, irritable expression on her face.

"So, Daniels," the woman grumbled. "You need me?"

"Colonel Falcon, meet Marie, my sleeper agent," Xavier declared proudly. "Born a psionic and secretly trained in Confederacy facilities! She is a Hellhound and works with Miranda, but answers to me and me alone. Using her skills, I will cripple the Hellhounds and subjugate the Umojan Protectorate, allowing Mengsk to incorporate it into his Dominion. Then, we can have a united humanity to deal with the Zerg threat."

"Hmmmmm. Very nice," Falcon admitted. "Marie, what can you do?"

"I would only show you my skills if I used them against you," Marie retorted, "and by then, you'd dearly regret that request."

Falcon burst out laughing. "I love her, Daniels!" he chortled, but stopped when he saw Marie's venomous glare. "You know what I mean. A most exquisite agent, I must say. What will you have her do?"

"Her role will be a part of the overall plan that Mengsk has for me," Xavier explained. "Let's just say that my Hellhounds are about to mobilize."

Falcon looked startled. "To where?"

"To Icarus IV, the hotspot in the Umojan Protectorate," Xavier grinned fiercely, then drained the last of his drink and set the glass on his desk. "And Marie is going to make sure this plan goes the way I want it to."


	7. Chapter 6

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 6**

_**Mess Hall, Hellhounds commander center, Icarus IV,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**November 29, 2504**_

Charlotte could only trust the quirky but experienced Miranda to sneak her Viking into a Dominion transport ship, wait until that ship got near the Dominion-Umoja border, then slip through the Dominion blockade and arrive safely into Umojan Protectorate space and board an Umojan battlecruiser headed to Icarus IV. The entire time, Charlotte clung tightly to the stolen data package and prayed that it was worth the lives that Miranda had paid to acquire it from Mengsk's scientists on Korhal. Of course, most of the Dominion's best experiment labs existed elsewhere, but the one on Korhal made a tempting target to the eccentric Miranda, and now the results became public property of the Hellhounds loyal to Jorgensen.

"This is what we fought for," Miranda announced to the assembled officers and platoon leaders of the Hellhounds late one evening at her end of the mess hall's table. The grouchy and silent Marie was there too, a member of the Special Ops team and a crafty saboteur. The information case lay on the table in front of Miranda, the silver box almost ominous. "I sacrificed the lives of several of your comrades to get this, but I swear that Jorgensen and I will do whatever we can to make it worthwhile. Whatever lets us fight back against the Dominion and Zerg is welcome to us. So, here goes!"

Sitting next to her good friend Nick, Charlotte held her breath in excitement, her eyes trained on the box like everyone else. Miranda flipped open the lid, and machinery inside the box immediately projected the 3-D image of a two-legged war machine in the air for everyone to see. _Is that just a walk-mode Viking? _Charlotte wondered, but her stomach clenched as she realized that she beheld something much different. Whispers flitted among the Hellhounds officers like restless spirits, and Miranda herself wondered, "Just what is Mengsk planning to do with an army of _these_?"

The vehicle indeed looked a little like a walk-mode Viking, but this thing, according to the data, was more than three times bigger and had ten times the armament. Each of its arms ended in massive guns, and long-range, anti-air missile racks rested on the beast's shoulders. What was more, four long-range cannons sat on the vehicle's back, nestled between the missile launchers. According to the data listed in the projection, this vehicle had thicker armor than any human land vehicle ever did.

"There's a recording here too," Miranda added, her voice shaking a little. She pressed a button in the data package and a Dominion officer's face appeared.

"This new weapon of war will cement the Dominion's supremacy in known space by sheer might, my Emperor," the officer proclaimed. Clearly, this message was intended for Mengsk. "This siege-walker, named the Thor, will prove to the monstrous Zerg and cunning Protoss that we are not to be trifled with! Our facilities on Valhalla are ready to begin production and we should see Thors enter the battlefield within months of this recording. The Thor is armed with four particle accelerators on its arms, and technicians have come to refer to them as 'Thor's Hammer'. Combine that with anti-air missile, and the the Thor can handle any type of threat. The 250 mm Strike Cannons on its back are excellent for laying siege to enemy fortifications. All these weapons are present on the Odin prototype and the results are promising. I look forward to your response, my Emperor. Colonel Falcon, signing off."

A stunned silence settled over the mess hall like a mist, no one willing to break the veil of quiet. Charlotte's mind raced as the officer's words repeated in her head. _If Mengsk or Xavier Daniels use these Thors against us Umojans, we're finished! With something like that used against us, Jorgensen will have no choice but to let his realm get absorbed into the Dominion. _She clenched a fist. _I'll die before I let that happen!_

Maybe she shouldn't have been surprised, but Charlotte still felt startled when Trevor suddenly stood, his expression showing nothing but contempt for the hologram Thor. "Well look at that. Mengsk has some new toys! That makes no difference. We're the Hellhounds! We won't be scared off by something puny like that."

"Puny?" someone from the tank corps bristled. "This is a weapon of war unlike anything we've ever seen!"

"And it cost me some of my men just to find out about this," Miranda reminded Trevor.

The Reaper commander only smirked. "Chief Officer Miranda, you raided Mengsk's capital planet and stole plans about his big bad Thor. This takes away Mengsk's element of surprise! We can start figuring out ways to counter this thing when and if Xavier and Mengsk send them against us."

"That _is _true," Miranda admitted impatiently, "but I don't appreciate outbursts like that. Be more civil in our strategy meetings."

"Civil?" Trevor repeated with distaste, but the Reaper still settled back down. "I apologize, Miranda sir, but we are the _Hellhounds_. That's a reminder to everyone! Jorgensen is relying on us and we're the best of the best. Unless morale is up and we meet this thing head-on, we might as well surrender right now."

"Well, we might as well make the most of what we have," Charlotte added, "but we can't afford any reckless losses, you know. There's only so many of us. I wouldn't want to see anyone else die in vain. Nor would Miranda."

Trevor shot her a look that was supposed to be comforting but wasn't. "You mean that mission back on Korhal, right? Relax, Charlotte! That wasn't your fault! Those guys were careless and they were wiped out. But the rest of us can adapt and survive!"

"Trevor!" Miranda's voice lashed through the air like a whip, her eyes suddenly hard.

"What?" the Reaper asked. Charlotte inwardly groaned; this man could never be stopped when he started up, and it was a wonder that Miranda kept him around at all. "So you and Charlotte lost a few guys. Bummer, but we're not going down that easy. As long as the mission's accomplished and we get the glory and power, it's okay! The Hellhounds are goal-oriented people!"

"How dare you!" Charlotte bolted upright, slapping both her hands on the table. Her heart hammered at the injustice of Trevor's words. "Those men and women's deaths aren't a joke, and don't you dare trivialize even one death of your comrades! You think we can just charge in and blow everything up without a care in the world, like you do?"

"Maybe I _would _make a good role model," Trevor commented. "High morale and a daring attitude can get one far. Right, Miranda? Isn't that how we operate?"

The Hellhounds CO looked uncomfortable. The Thor was all but forgotten. "Yes, but I don't throw away lives! I only did what I could, and against such superior foes I can't keep gambling away lives and equipment. We have to fight defensive and fight smart."

Trevor pointed at the Thor diagram. "The enemy is like that Thor thing: strong, but slow. We're quick and deadly, and we can cripple our enemy with just a few bold moves. That's how Reapers think, and us Reapers get the job done! Don't you all agree?"

Some murmurs of agreement rippled through the assembled officers but others looked uncomfortable at Trevor's disregard for others' lives. Nick, for one, suddenly winced and held his head, grunting in sudden pain. "Are you okay?" Charlotte asked him, concerned as she leaned over to help him out.

"It's not too bad," he grunted quietly. "It's just... the headache again! Argh! I can... I can see..."

"See what?" Charlotte asked, but people were starting to stare and Nick only shook his head.

"I'll take all of this into consideration later," Miranda announced. "But don't forget your place, Trevor! I won't allow any more back-talk, even by my lax standards. Right now, the Zerg's initial attack waves are still rampaging here on Icarus IV and we have to suit up and deal with them as soon as we can. Plus, there's always the chance Xavier's Hellhounds might show up. Who knows what they'll be up to? I want all of you to go and get rested up. We're not out of this yet."

At that, everyone rose with a clamor and filed out of the mess hall, but Charlotte hung back with Nick, who still clutched his head.

"Come on, tell me," Charlotte urged him, placing her hands gently on his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"You won't believe me..." Nick started.

"Oh, try me," Charlotte urged him with a small smile. She resisted the sudden urge to fiddle with the blue ribbon in her hair.

"I... when my headache started, strange thoughts entered my head, and feelings too," Nick said slowly, as though he didn't believe what he was saying either. "And this time, they weren't my own, but someone else's... Trevor's."

Charlotte gasped. "You were reading his mind? But only powerful Dominion psionics can do that!"

"Correction: only psionic humans in general can do that," Nick responded with a grim smile.

"Are... you telling me that you might be a psionic? Like a Ghost?"

"I don't know, Charlotte. But I read Trevor's mind and I felt nothing but contempt, blind aggression, and a strong desire to elevate himself above all others," Nick said with distaste. "That man doesn't care what happens to others as long as he gets whatever he wants. He would almost want to live forever just to keep on living like this. He'd go on until the end of time!"

Between Zerg, the Thor, and the unfriendly Hellhounds, Charlotte decided that Trevor's attitude was one problem too many. She gently pushed Nick toward the door, escorting him out. "Come on, let's find you somewhere to lie down. Forget about Trevor and all that other stuff for now."

"Thanks, Charlotte," Nick said warmly. "Nice that at least one person around here doesn't go crazy with stress. What color ribbon will you wear tomorrow, by the way?"

"Mmmmmm... maybe orange," Charlotte mused, keeping up her personal tradition of wearing a different colored hair ribbon every day. She had at least ten ribbons, each a different color. "Or red. I like red."

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **In the WoL campaign, Rory Swann created the Thor from the Odin prototype but here I am making it as though Dominion engineers made the Thor instead. Also, my timeline varies a little from SC II's, since in that game the Char invasion happened in October 2504. That event will be delayed quite a bit in this story, and probably happen after this story is finished.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Command center grounds, Icarus IV,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 8, 2504**_

Under an ocean of uncaring stars set in a black night sky, one suited agent stood by the paved roadside like a hitchhiker, but she was no lost soul. Marie knew full well when a supply convoy would pass by here, exactly four trucks staggered out three meters between each other, each one carrying food, medical supplies, and ammunition in their cargo holds. Acquiring a simple truck schedule had proved easy to do from the local Umojan Protectorate transmissions, but that was only the start of Marie's mission. In one minute and fifteen seconds, the first truck would arrive and she'd have only a tiny frame of time in which to make a move.

Marie's lithe, feminine body enjoyed the full benefits of the Ghost agent suit she wore. The material itself was thin and skintight but could withstand several bullet impacts before rupturing, and stealth modules set in the fabric would allow instant cloaking. Even better, psionic channel devices in the suit enhanced Marie's already formidable physical abilities with her own mental power, and the C-10 canister rifle on her back promised to deliver many a lethal headshot.

Two bright lights down the dark road heralded the arrival of the supply convoy and Marie perked up, ready for her operation. Her identity vanished as she slipped her helmet onto her head, night vision granting her full sight of the operation field. With a simple psionic command, Marie flooded her suit with cloaking energy that, within seconds, made her as invisible as the wind itself. _"Cloak engaged," _an automated voice in Marie's helmet spoke, confirming her full invisibility. Marie crouched by the roadside and tensed her leg muscles as the first truck passed by her.

The bulky vehicle trundled along, the driver unaware of the insidious agent crouched by the roadside. Marie let it pass, but the second truck caught her attention because the back hatch seemed a little loose. She sprang like a toad, soaring through the air and landing heavily on the truck's metal roof with a slight thump. Without wasting a second, Marie dashed to the edge of the truck and gripped the upper edge, straining with all her might. Slowly, the metal door started to pry open, but the driver of the third truck would notice the second truck's back hatch opening seemingly by itself.

So, Marie focused on the third truck's driver and sent a tendril of psionic power into the older man's idle mind, at once blotting out his ability to perceive anything about the second truck. He would see only the truck ahead of him but never see any changes to it. Satisfied, Marie resumed her work, redoubling her efforts and prying the hatch open with quiet metal groans. She nimbly slipped into the cargo bay and tugged on the hatch's inside handlebars to tug the hatch back into place, and then sat on a crate of fruit, waiting for the next step.

Within minutes, the truck came to a halt in order to be inspected. Marie's sharp ears clearly heard the voices of several Umojan guards approaching this truck to check up on it. With a loud groan, the truck's hatch was pulled up and three Umojan marines in full body armor swept their flashlights around the truck's interior, their Gauss rifles slung at their waists. Of course, they saw the crates lying around but did not notice the Ghost literally sitting a few feet in front of them.

"Yup, this one's clear," one marine confirmed, sounding rather bored. "It can go."

"Y'know, boss, I've heard that them Dominion Ghosts can turn invisible and walk 'round wherever they want," another marine mentioned. "Shouldn't we figger out some way to check for them too? Say, we don't know that there ain't a Ghost in here right now! Or in one of the other trucks!"

Marie drew a sharp breath at the man's words, but a quick mental jab settled it. She bent and twisted his mind and he spoke, "'Course, I was just kidding. Mengsk's Ghosts ain't got any business here. Forget I said anything."

"You talk too much," the lead marine grumbled, but Marie slipped into his mind to verify that he didn't consider the other marine's suggestion seriously. The three marines closed the door and the truck's engines rumbled to life, carrying the vehicle onwards.

The truck soon stopped again, and Marie knew that she was now inside the vast commander center of this region of Icarus IV. Her goal lay near the top floors, so she had to get moving. As soon as base crew members opened her truck's hatch, Marie quickly slipped out before anyone could notice, and she scampered across the vast, well-lit cargo bay. Many other trucks lay about, their contents being hauled out by uniformed crew members. Hundreds of crates either stood in stacks in the room or were being loaded onto forklifts, but Marie ignored all of that. Instead, she vaulted over a stack of crates and tore across the bay's concrete floor, headed for the door that led further into the command center. However, just as Marie passed by another stack of crates, a crew member came from around a corner and plowed right into her.

"Whoa! What th' hell?" the man yelped, sprawling onto the floor in a confused heap. Marie mentally cursed at the blunder but thankfully, her cloak remained intact, and at most the man would have seen a faint flicker of her visual form. Still... she winked at him with both an eye and her mind, and the man went limp as artificial slumber took him, promising that by the time he reported his strange incident, Marie would be long gone.

The further into the commander center Marie went, the more she realized that the Umojan Protectorate didn't quite match the Dominion's standards of construction quality. Pipes and clusters of wires ran exposed along the slightly rusty neosteel walls and some of the wall paneling and floor tiles needed replacement. Still, that was not her problem and she craftily made her way down a deserted hallway and to an elevator at the end. This elevator didn't go up to the communications room at the top, but it would get her close enough. She almost pressed the button to call the elevator when a sudden disturbance stopped her.

"... I still think this is a waste o' time," a voice complained. "The Zerg don't infiltrate! They just barge in and kill everyone!"

"Just do yer duty, soldier," a second, deeper voice snapped. Marie whipped around and beheld five Umojan marines marching down the hall, and due to their armors' bulk and their formation, they took up the entire hallway. Marie hoped that they would halt and turn around, but they clearly intended to enter the elevator themselves.

"Come on, men, just one more floor and we can call it a night," the deep-voiced marine said bracingly. "And we don't even have to take the stairs!"

_Damn it. Why can't they get their lazy asses up a staircase? _Marie growled in her head, but she had no choice. As the marines drew near, she tensed her legs and vaulted up to the ceiling, clinging to it with her strong fingers and feet. Now she just had to wait for the marines to move on, and she could get the elevator all to herself.

With a horrible metal screech and groan, the ceiling tile Marie clung to suddenly tore off, unable to carry her weight. Sparks exploded from the ceiling as the metal plate came off and severed the wires connected to its lighting fixture, and the marines backed up and raised their weapons in alarm. Taken by surprise, Marie tumbled clumsily to the floor and watched in horror as her personal cloak got knocked offline from the hard impact. Her whole body popped back into view, crackles of spare psionic energy running up and down her suit like static electricity. _What do you know. Cheap Umojan manufacturing became my problem after all!_

"We got a Ghost in here!" a marine howled. "I'll radio security! We've got a -"

_Crack_. Marie's C-10 canister rifle was in her hands in a split second, and its barrel smoked and the marine keeled over backwards, his helmet glass and his face mutilated. Blood leaked from the wound as the armored man clattered to the floor, and the other four marines didn't hesitate to open fire, filling the air with Gauss rounds. Knowing that she had little maneuvering room, Marie quickly dived out of the way and scanned the room for options. Her eyes alighted on a thick steam pipe right over the marines' heads, and she slipped her pistol out of its holster and with three loud shots, the steam pipe suddenly flooded the hallway with thick, obscuring steam. The marines held their fire and shouted in confusion, unsure where to shoot.

_Now I've got you. _Marie unclasped a chaff grenade from her waist belt and flung it, feeling grim satisfaction as the grenade's explosion knocked the marines' radios offline, isolating them from any help. Then, Marie activated her helmet's alternate viewing mode. _"Bio-vision enabled," _the helmet's gruff voice announced, highlighting all present life forms in vivid colors against the lifeless gray of the walls and steam. Four men in lifeless armor squirmed about in the hallway, shouting incoherently. The air seemed to shake as they started firing their guns again, but none of their shots got even close to the mark. Marie wandered back over to the elevator as she shouldered her heavy rifle, feeling the recoil against her shoulder as she fired once, twice, thrice, four times. The four marines thudded to the floor one after another, their helmet visors and heads shattered from Marie's armor-piercing bullets.

Just as the steam started to waft away, Marie shouldered her rifle, holstered her pistol, and focused her psionics on her cloaking again, breathing easy as her personal cloaking recovered itself and once again concealed her from view. Marie slammed her fist against the elevator's call button, and after a short wait the doors slid open. The Ghost wandered right in, pressing the button for the top floor. The elevator car's door slid closed and the car swiftly glided upwards, making Marie's stomach lurch a little. Floor 5, floor 6, floor 7...

The lights went out and the elevator car shuddered to a halt; no doubt, someone had discovered the marines' dead bodies and locked the whole place down! Once again, Marie mentally cursed but got her body into action. Diverting her armor's energy away from cloaking, Marie instead focused all of her energy into her legs and lashed out with a kick. Her foot thundered against the elevator's doors, the metal creaking as a huge dent caved into it. Marie withdrew her foot and shot it out again, this time punching through the dent and making a small hole. Her hands slowly but surely tore the elevator doors open like sheets of thin rubber, and she slipped her lithe body through and flipped herself upward, landing on top of the elevator car in the middle of the shaft.

Only tiny emergency lights spaced at regular intervals lit the elevator hallway, but that was all Marie needed. Making sure that her rifle was secured tightly on her back, she grasped the elevator's cables and hoisted herself up, climbing quickly upwards. The cables wobbled and twanged with the exertion but showed no sign of breaking, since they could easily handle a heavy elevator car filled with people. After a few minutes, Marie found herself on level with the top floor this elevator could reach, and a few kicks had the doors open. Marie flung herself off the elevator cable and channeled her energy into her cloak once again, rolling gracefully into a well-lit hallway.

She was alone; warning klaxons blaring loudly on the walls and red lights flashed, the calamity irritating the Ghost. She busted the nearest red light with her pistol but got herself moving, trying to find a way to the top. Dashing around a corner, Marie found herself in the middle of chaos, countless uniformed agents running this way and that along with several armed guards. Marie pursed her lips and decided to test her luck, leaping up to the ceiling and clinging to it like a spider. She crawled along the ceiling in this fashion, avoiding trying to slink through the crowd; she hated crowds anyway. After taking one wrong turn, she went in another direction and found the prize: a security elevator that led to the communications level at the command center's very top, and despite the lockdown it was still operational.

But the lift required a code input and a retinal scan of approved personnel.

Trying not to growl her irritation, Marie got out yet another trick in her bag: a device that could scan the contents of a computer and upload it into her brain. The little device gave her a mental list of every approved personnel member as well as their profile pictures and where they worked. One of them worked on this level, a certain Martin Parker. Marie grudgingly got back to the pandemonium of panicking officers, her sharp eyes on alert for her target. Her stomach lurched with excitement as she saw him running by, a man with tanned skin and a tuft of brown beard on his chin. She darted over and poked a psionic probe into his brain, harnessing his mind for her purposes. Maintaining her cloak and using mind control simultaneously strained Marie's brain and made her head ache, but if she hurried she'd make it. She walked along with her pet officer to the elevator, commanding him to put his eyeball to the retinal scanner and enter a five-digit code into a number panel. The elevator dutifully slid open and Marie put Martin Parker to sleep, casually walking into the elevator by herself and quickly shutting the doors.

One quick sleep gas canister took out every operator in the spacious communications room, and dozens of men and women collapsed to the floor in slumber before any of them had fully registered Marie's presence. _All too easy, _she thought smugly to herself, wandering over to the comm terminals and getting to work. Marie's fingers flew over the keys and holographic displays, and she let out a sound of triumph as all of Icarus IV's planetary sensor stations shut down. Now, anybody and anything could land here without anyone knowing about it, just as Xavier Daniels wanted for his plan.

_Gotta get out of here now. _Marie kicked open a hole in one of the room's wide windows and nimbly leaped out, landing heavily on an outside balcony. Adhesive liquids coated her uniform's palms and feet, allowing her to quickly descend the building from the outside and make her way to the ground. Of course, going down was much easier than up, and she could never have gotten to the command center's top from the outside. Getting down took a while... but patience was a virtue.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Surface, Van Osten's Moon,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 9, 2504**_

Yet another hydralisk shrieked in anger and raised its scythe-like hands, jaws split in a terrifying display of power intended to frighten its foe. It was not alone; many other dead Zerg lay scattered on the cold, rocky surface of the planet Van Osten's Moon, and several other hydralisks and armored roaches scurried about, excited by the arrival of a small band of Protoss.

The hydralisks' shriek quickly turned into a howl of agony.

"You're in my way, creature," zealot Azaru quipped, leaping high to avoid the hydralisk's claw swipes and thrusting his left psi-blade into the monster's forehead. The hydralisk pitched backwards and crumpled to the hard ground, Azaru grappling with it all the way down. He raised his other blade to finish the monster off, but the hydralisk squirmed and slapped him with its other scythe-arm, cutting Azaru's right arm and throwing him off. The hydralisk reared up and tensed its muscles to launch its deadly spine projectiles, but the wounded zealot was faster. Azaru pounced and feinted a slash to the left, then darted around the hydralisk's defenses and thrust his right psi-blade through its jaw and into its tiny brain, forever silencing it. The Zerg marauder slumped over in defeat, foul smoke pouring from its head wounds.

Around Azaru, several of his allies engaged the other Zerg in this area. Azaru's task force included two armored stalker warriors named Jhes and Khes, natives of Shakuras and identical brothers. Streaks of hot plasma flew from Jhes' and Khes' mechanical bodies, sizzling into Zerg carapace. Two roaches burst from under the ground in a spray of pebbles, vomiting streams of their green, corrosive acid saliva. The plasma shields surrounding Jhes and Khes strained against the saliva and flared brightly in protest, but they managed to stay cohesive and keep the stalkers safe. Jhes and Khes whirled around and took a few steps backwards, daring the roaches to come closer.

And they did. The two roaches skittered forward on their six legs to get within saliva range, but the stalkers had already fired. Their combined beams vaporized the head of one roach, making its flat, armored body collapse lifelessly. The other roach hissed its anger and flung more saliva, this time breaching Jhes' shield and corroding one of his metal legs off. Jhes yelped in shock as he staggered, losing his balance. He fired back but his plasma bolts went wide, sizzling through the cold, thin air. However, Khes' plasma bolts burned into the roach's armor and the Zerg creature scrambled into the ground for safety.

"Do not relent, brothers!" Azaru howled, raising his psi-blades high and ignoring the throbbing, bleeding wound on his right arm. Three other zealots sliced apart one last hydralisk, and then the roach popped back out of the earth, trying to catch everyone by surprise. Its armor wound had already completely healed, scar tissue sealing the injury without a mark. Its acid saliva burned and sizzled away one zealot's shield, but Jhes and Khes showered the roach with their bolts, amputating its legs. The crippled beast fell flat on its belly, and Azaru promptly sliced its head in two with a downward sweep of his psi-blades.

"_Zerg threat is neutralized. At least, for now,"_ Azaru psionically reported to Chusar, his ship's navigator. His carrier, the _Epiphany of Light_, patiently orbited the planet while Azaru's task force scouted the planet.

"_Does this world hold any promise?"_ Chusar asked back.

As he started bandaging his wound, Azaru answered, _"Yes. This is a mystical place. The landscape has been crafted by some intelligent race or sentient force, and many ancient ruins are present. I believe that we are likely to find an artifact of the Creators. Maybe even several."_

"_Very well," _Chusar responded. _"Adun's spirit be with you on your hunt. Is anyone hurt?"_

"_Jhes lost a limb, therefore I request that a replacement be sent down in a small drop pod," _Azaru answered. _"Keep me alerted for any news."_

"_Well... in fact, I did receive a message while you were on your way down to the surface. A general signal that anyone could receive."_

Azaru's fingers twitched. _"Tell me."_

"_It is from the Terrans," _Chusar answered, sounding as surprised as Azaru felt. _"From the Terran union of planets calling itself the Umojan Protectorate. Their leader, a certain Minister Jorgensen, expressed his desire to ally with us as brothers against the Zerg threat. According to him, the Umojan people as a whole admire us and wish to forge a mutually beneficial alliance."_

This was certainly news. _"I do not speak on behalf of our entire race," _Azaru responded slowly, _"But I for one must decline that offer. The humans cannot understand or live in harmony even with each other! How are they to live in peace with us? They are greedy and careless beyond anything else I have ever seen. We are to keep to ourselves. I have a mission to complete, after all."_

"_Understood. I shall respond to Minister Jorgensen with your reply," _Chusar said. _"But I, for one, wish the Terrans the best of luck."_

"_As do I, navigator. As do I."_


	8. Chapter 7

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 7**

_**Lounge, Hellhounds commander center, Icarus IV,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 12, 2504**_

The Zerg still rampaged on Icarus IV's surface, but the monsters had pulled back from the front lines to regroup and the Umojan army was manning the front in case of a further attack.

This gave the Hellhounds way too much free time.

"Okay," said Trevor after taking another shot of strong Kel-Morian whiskey, "I'll make this one _really _count!" Dozens of off-duty Hellhounds clapped and cheered as the Reaper confidently stepped back to the shooting gallery, raising two mock Scythe pistols. The round, moving targets on the far wall started moving, daring the Reaper to take his best shot. The Reaper before him had scored well, but even after drinking a shot every round, Trevor outshone the competition.

Whipping the pistols into position, the Reaper squeezed the triggers and let his eagle eye guide him. Laser lights in the pistols marked the electronic targets with where his "bullets" hit them, and the crowd oohed as his score skyrocketed, quickly catching up to the previous Reaper's high score and surpassing it, bringing a confident grin to Trevor's face. He dashed to the side to pursue the elusive targets, fingers restlessly mashing the triggers and racking up even more points. Then, Trevor tumbled back the other way and fired off more mock shots during the maneuver, scoring multiple bulls-eyes.

"Beat that!" Trevor exclaimed breathlessly as the timer ran out and he stepped back. He lowered his pistols, his cocky expression unchanging. "Think any of you guys can catch up?"

"I, uh... really don't think so, sir!" one of his Reaper subordinates said nervously, eyeing Trevor's mountainous score. He held two mock Scythe pistols and had some points up on the board, but how could he catch up?

Nearby at a round table, Charlotte scowled at Trevor's behavior as she considered her newest hand. _We've been playing poker for an hour now and Nick has yet to get a bad hand, _she thought with equal parts admiration and envy of her dear friend's performance. His hearty pile of colored chips attested to his skill and luck in the game, and Charlotte wrenched her mind away from Trevor and slid two cards to Bobby, the dealer. "I'll take two."

"Sure," the blond, round-faced man agreed. He handed Charlotte her cards back, and she felt let down; even with her new cards, her best hand was only a pair of 5's. The last player, a Marauder named Seamus, accepted a single card and made the slightest of frowns as he added it to his hand. Nick, meanwhile, didn't accept a single new card.

"And... show your hands!" Bobby declared, and everyone obeyed. Charlotte glumly showed her weak hand, but felt a little better upon seeing Bobby's junk hand and Seamus' meager pair of 2's. Nick only had a pair of 7's, but that did the trick.

"More? Yes, please!" Nick joked as he scooped up his winnings. Seamus sighed and tossed his cards to Bobby.

"I'm done getting squeezed dry. Good game," the large Marauder groused, then got up and wandered off to the bar.

Bobby glanced at Nick and concluded, "Yeah, me too. I've got work to do." He collected all the cards and put the deck on the center of the table, standing up. He added to Charlotte, "Your new hellion is ready to go, Charlotte. Care to take it for a test spin soon?"

"Maybe tomorrow morning," Charlotte smiled back. "Thanks so much for providing my new ride!"

"Anytime," Bobby grinned back and walked off. Amused, Charlotte turned to Nick.

"You sure seem to be lucky this evening," she commented.

Nick tried and failed to look bashful. "Hey, I guess the deck just likes me that much!"

Charlotte laughed. "Don't be modest. Even tank jocks can play smart and outfox others!"

"Actually, I hardly ever play poker, and I've always lost a lot before," Nick frowned, running a hand through his blond hair. He scooted closer to Charlotte, lowering his voice. "This time, though... it was like I _knew _what to do. All the time."

"What, you suddenly developed a strong intuition?" Charlotte suggested, but she got the feeling it was something else.

Nick lowered his voice a little more, making sure no one overheard. "No, not that. I could... well..."

"Go ahead and tell me," Charlotte encouraged him gently. "What is it?"

Swallowing hard, Nick admitted, "I could _see _what cards everyone else had, like I could get into their minds. I knew what cards everyone had and that let me know when to call bluffs or fold. It's..."

"It's _that _again," Charlotte realized, stomach clenching. "Your headaches and insights into other people's minds?"

"It _has _to be psionics. What else could it be? I'm a freak!" Nick said frantically, checking that no one overheard him. The crowd cheered as Trevor performed another round of skilled shooting.

Charlotte reached out and took Nick's hand, squeezing it. "Nick, calm down! You don't know that for sure and don't call yourself a freak. You just have a -"

"We could test it," Nick realized, then winced. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think we should try it."

"Sure we can," Charlotte said warmly. "Sit across from me and we'll get started."

Nick obeyed and Charlotte slid the deck of cards over to herself, picking up the first card and holding it up to her, a jack of spades. Physically, Nick could only see the back of the card, but he leaned forward a little and squinted as though trying to use x-ray vision. "It's, uh... it's a... oh man, this makes my head hurt," Nick muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Take your time," Charlotte encouraged him.

Closing his eyes, Nick waited a second and then said slowly, "A jack... of spades."

Charlotte set the card face-up on the table. "Yup! Let's try another." She held up an 8 of hearts, and once again Nick focused his mind and identified it correctly. Charlotte went through several more cards, making sure each time that no one was really watching. After ten cards in a row, Charlotte added one more test to be sure. "Okay, what am I thinking right now?" _A black bird soaring toward a golden sun against an azure sky. Nothing like a little imagery, _she thought.

Nick rubbed his jaw and crinkled his brow. "A... black bird soaring toward a golden sun against an azure sky."

"That's right," Charlotte nodded. She scooted over to Nick. "Well, I guess our tank hero has a special talent!"

"I guess I do," Nick smiled, but fear weighed down his voice. "This... this can't be real. I mean, why me? I'm psionic, for Pete's sake!"

"I think people are just born that way, with no regard to gender or ethnicity or anything," Charlotte said slowly, "or even whether you have psionics in your family. Don't blame yourself, Nick."

Nick shook his head. "I don't, but it's risky. Sooner or later someone will catch on, feeling me in their head. Harboring psionics is a crime."

"In the Dominion, that is," Charlotte corrected him. "Mengsk won't find you here."

"He'd better not," Nick responded, his voice suddenly firm. "He won't lay a hand on Umoja or any of its sister planets! He's a monster, Charlotte, abandoning his outer planets to the Zerg just like that. No way will he take me and use me as a weapon!"

Charlotte shuddered. "I've heard stories about young kids being whisked off to Ghost academies, trained to become unthinking killers. Children shouldn't be used like that!"

"All the more reason to defy Mengsk and his lackeys," Nick added, fire in his eyes. "You know what? I'll sooner get swallowed by a Zerg than submit to Mengsk's or Xavier Daniel's will. You have my word on that. I won't betray my people and I won't betray myself!"

Charlotte stared at him for a second and suddenly had to stifle a giggling fit behind her hand.

"What's wrong?" Nick frowned.

"Nothing, nothing," Charlotte could hardly contain her mirth. "It's just that you sounded so corny just now! Nice speech."

"But I did mean it," Nick said earnestly, leaning a little closer to Charlotte. "I won't turn my back on Jorgensen or Miranda or anyone, and definitely not you. I'll be here for you."

"Jeez, that's really bright," Charlotte suddenly said, shielding her eyes.

"What is?"

"The shining armor you're wearing, sir knight!" Charlotte smiled, and Nick shared in her renewed laughter. "But really... I'm glad to hear you say that, Nick. It shows that we're still the folks with some principles around here."

"Tell me about it," Nick sighed heavily, but before he could say another word, a sudden alarm made everyone jump. Even Trevor threw down his mock pistols to listen to a sudden announcement.

"_We have been surrounded!" _the officer's voice on the intercom blared. _"A battalion of Xavier's Hellhounds has us at gunpoint and they demand our surrender."_

Charlotte's gut squirmed. _That's impossible! We would have detected them coming in-system long before they could get in position! It's like they just teleported or something. _She gave Nick a sideways look. "I've got to go, Nick."

"Y... yeah," he swallowed, and Charlotte burst out of the rec room and through the command center's hallways, heading right for the main comm room where Miranda the other officers would be. She met them all there and beheld Xavier's face on the live video screen that occupied most of the north wall. The others glanced at Charlotte as she entered but she focused her attention on Xavier's message.

"This little farce needs to end right now," the Hellhounds founder demanded on the screen. His hard eyes showed no mercy, nor did his tone. "Miranda! I want you and your officers to relinquish command of your men and transfer that command to me. The Hellhounds are one pack. You know that. Separated, we are doomed to all die. We have too many enemies as it is."

Miranda's back stiffened and her eyes narrowed. "This again? Your memory fails you, Xavier. The Umojan Protectorate is our home and it needs us. But look! You've hauled your money-hungry warriors right back home, so you can join us and defend the Protectorate like we always should have. Call your men off. This doesn't have to turn ugly."

Xavier sighed. "I was afraid you'd take that attitude, Miranda. If need be, I can start demolishing your command center's assets and those of the surrounding area until you see reason. We are mercenaries! We go to where the pay is best! You are forgetting why the Hellhounds were founded... money."

"That's not what Jorgensen had in mind when he helped you create this army," Miranda growled back, eyes flashing. "He didn't found us just to have us chasing glory!"

"Stubborn as ever," Xavier snarled. "Here's a little lesson!"

Just a few seconds later, several distant but bone-jarring thumps rattled the command center, prodding several warning klaxons awake. The video screen switched to an external camera, showing over two dozen Hellhounds siege tanks deployed in siege mode, their Crucio cannons aimed high and still smoking from their volley. Marines, hellions, and Marauders kept the tanks safe from any surprise attacks.

The screen switched back to Xavier's face. "Had enough, Miranda? You're trapped and at my mercy! I'll say it one more time: _give your army to me. _I am the one and only true Hellhounds commander!"

"Answer this for me," Miranda scowled, taking a step toward the screen. "How did you get here without alerting planetary security? We never detected any incoming ships or foreign vehicles anywhere near here! It's like you just popped out of the ground."

"I had my methods," Xavier taunted.

Miranda turned to Marie, the head of the infiltration team of her Hellhounds. "Marie, how could Xavier have done this? Any idea?"

The grouchy, dark-haired sniper pursed her lips. "I... really am not sure," she admitted. "Maybe he figured out our IFF codes or is borrowing some sort of cloaking field emitter from the Dominion's technology labs?"

The screen switched back to the outside view of the hostile Hellhounds vehicles, but Xavier's voice remained. "Well? Do you need any more encouraging, or will you comply with my wishes? I know you well, Miranda. You're no fool. Make the right choice."

Charlotte glared at the screen, trying to see any tactical flaw on Xavier's part. His men were in solid formations, but the men in the back were moving around way too much. _Wait... those aren't Hellhounds! _She shouted, "Daniels! The Zerg!"

"Are a threat we can face together if you surrender to me, Miranda," Xavier added, but Charlotte felt panic clench at her guts.

"No! Behind your men! Zerg!"

"What... damn it! Men! On your six!" Xavier's voice bled over various channels, and on the screen, his forces whirled around and opened fire, lighting up the dark plains with gun muzzle flashes and rockets. Dozens of zerglings collapsed over each other as they charged at Xavier's men, starting to form hills of their bodies. Still more zerglings appeared as though from nowhere, throwing themselves in suicidal waves at the Hellhounds formations. More of them fell to the combined fire, but surviving zerglings reached the front lines and started tearing men and vehicles apart with their claws and teeth. The marines and Marauders scrambled back, desperately fending off the zergling onslaught.

Xavier's voice came back in a much different tone. "Postpone that ultimatum in your mind. It looks like the Zerg won't wait while we conduct our civilized negotiations."

Miranda couldn't keep her glee out of her voice or expression. "Funny, huh? You had your knife to my throat and now you want my help! Suddenly I don't feel like helping the one who was being so rude to me."

"Damn it, Miranda! This is no time for that! If we don't combine arms then the Zerg will overrun us."

"There's still the Umojan army force stationed here. They'll come help you," Miranda smirked.

"You are fellow Hellhounds, Miranda. You know you can't just sit back and let this happen!" A concrete note of desperation tinged Xavier's voice.

Miranda put her hands on her hips. "Oh, fine. I'll haul your sorry butt out of the fire. But this'll make you think twice about abandoning your home and causing all this trouble!"

"It was you who chose not to follow me to the Dominion," Xavier retorted. "I made an official deal with Mengsk and we are his hired warriors!"

"We'll settle that later, why don't we?" Miranda smiled. "We have a planet to defend."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Command Center grounds, Icarus IV,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 12, 2504**_

Even while zooming her hellion out of the hangar of the command center, Charlotte could hear the battle against the Zerg clearly through the night air. Sentry towers on the command center grounds aimed floodlights onto the field, clearly illuminating the zergling swarm that continued to hammer at Xavier's Hellhounds. Taking a deep breath and tightening her hands on her steering wheel, Charlotte kept her foot pressed down on the gas pedal and threw herself into the battle.

Piles of dead zerglings and scattered marine corpses lay everywhere and Charlotte had to keep wrenching her steering wheel to avoid them; tipping over would give the zerglings the seconds they needed to overwhelm her. Swerving around a tank deployed in siege mode, Charlotte got a hard lock on a clump of zerglings charging at several Marauders who were occupied with another zergling group. Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Charlotte slid her crosshairs onto the lead zergling and her hellion's computer showed a solid lock. Pressing her fingers on the firing buttons, Charlotte sent four short-range missiles streaking through the air and they rammed into the zerglings, erupting into brilliant fireballs. Scorched zerglings flew everywhere, filling the air with the stench of burned flesh.

A siege tank shuddered as it fired its Crucio cannon, blasting several zerglings into dust. Before it could fire again, though, a cluster of zerglings popped out of the ground, scrabbling out of the dirt like moles. They tore at the siege tank's outer armor layers with their claws, rapidly tearing away slivers of metal. The tank swiveled its cannon at the monsters but couldn't fire, and Charlotte could only imagine the pilot's terror as the zerglings tore deeper into his tank's armor. Gritting her teeth, Charlotte screeched by and fired up her autocannon turret, the five cluster rounds slashing two zerglings apart. The rest growled their frustration and pursued Charlotte's hellion in their bizarre hopping gait, anger in their eyes.

Knowing that she was outmatched by the ten or so zerglings coming after her, Charlotte quickly backed up and spun her tires as fast as she could, kicking up clumps of dirt and grass as she drove in reverse. The zerglings kept gaining and didn't stop even when Charlotte's second autocannon burst shredded one of her pursuers. The others got nearly in strike range...

And a sudden blast knocked away four of the zerglings, their bodies burnt to the bone. A familiar siege tank with the Hellhounds crest and gold war paint rumbled forward, its cannons still smoking. Encouraged, Charlotte dumb-fired her missiles and vaporized the last of the zergling pack. The resulting fireballs were a little close for comfort, but Charlotte couldn't be picky.

"That was close," Charlotte beamed, opening a channel to the siege tank.

"I guess I came just in time," Nick's voice spoke back. "But we – damn it!"

Organic needles the size of kitchen knives rattled against the armor of Nick's tank, many of the needles punching deep into the metal plating. A familiar shriek shattered the air as hydralisks slithered onto the battlefield, providing cover fire for their tiny zergling brethren. Marines fell back and filled the air with their Gauss rounds, but they could do little against the Zerg. More and more of Miranda's Hellhounds arrived on the scene to help and Xavier's siege tanks kept firing, blowing up many of the remaining zerglings. However, the hydralisks used the zerglings as cover to reach the tanks, using their needles to hammer at the tanks' armor. The siege tanks held still as their guns took time to reload, but the hydralisks pressed their advantage. More needles tore into the siege tanks and several tanks crumpled to flaming pieces under the pressure of the onslaught.

"Keep firing! Their numbers aren't too great. Splash your fire!" Miranda's voice demanded on the comm. Charlotte and Nick took that advice to heart; the former covered the latter's exposed flank against the hydralisks, working together to keep the Zerg monsters at bay. Some of Miranda's troops and light combat vehicles succumbed to the hydralisk fire, but no more Zerg reinforcements arrived and the combined Hellhounds kept up the pressure. Nick's hefty cannons mercilessly blasted apart the hydralisks and Charlotte's speed and weaponry took out the monsters with little chance of return fire. At last, the last of the hydralisks fell and an eerie calm slowly settled onto the battlefield like a mist.

"Are you holding up okay, Charlotte?" Nick asked her wearily on the comm. Dozens of scrapes and puncture marks on his hull acted as reminders of the hydralisks' deadly needles.

Charlotte checked her damage display. "I've got some scrapes and dents, but nothing too bad. Funny, the Zerg usually go all-out when they want to wipe out humans, which is all the time. Were they only testing us?"

"Are they even smart enough to do that?" Nick joked feebly, sounding rather wary. And Miranda's sudden, urgent message confirmed Charlotte's fears.

"This was only a ruse. The Umojan army's front lines are under heavy fire from a massive Zerg assault force. In only a matter of minutes, the front line will crumble."

Charlotte responded firmly, "Not if we get there and lend a hand."

"My thoughts exactly," Miranda replied gravely.


	9. Chapter 8

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 8**

_**Front lines, Icarus IV,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 12, 2504**_

Charlotte had decided to tune her helmet's comm to the general battle channel of the Umojan army, but within minutes she decided against that. Cries of "Get 'em off me!" and "There's too many of them!" and general cries of pain and death quickly had Charlotte gritting her teeth and drawing shaky breaths past her hammering heart, which seemed to be throbbing in her whole body. _Hearing so much carnage on the comm is killing me!_

She switched back to the Hellhounds channel, listening intently for any directions Miranda gave them. The Hellhounds CO soared overhead in her Viking, scouting the situation. "The first line of defense is crumbling. The Umojan army is fleeing," she reported flatly. "All forces are falling back to the second line of bunkers and trenches with the Zerg in hot pursuit. Men, it's your job to make sure they can set up their bunkers and siege tanks for defense! Cover them at any risk!"

_Even to hell and back, _Charlotte told herself sternly, resting her fingers on the trigger buttons on her steering wheels with not quite enough force to activate them. The nighttime sky glowed an ambient orange-red from the fires of wrecked buildings and vehicles from the front line, and the sounds of rumbling tanks, stomping Goliath walkers, and the hisses and roars of Zerg monsters gradually filled the air.

Charlotte formed up with five other Hellions into a sizable squad of six while she organized the Vulture bikes and other hellions into similar squads. "Our job is to harass the Zerg and keep them switching from target to target," Charlotte stated, addressing her whole unit. "Hit and run tactics, folks. If our armored division gets creamed, then we're all dead."

"Yes, sir!" came dozens of voices. Charlotte glanced over at the main bulk of the Hellhounds task force: three dozen siege tanks accompanied by Goliath walkers, all of them surrounded by a ring of marines and Marauders. Overhead flew several wings of Wraith combat aircraft and Miranda's Viking.

_It's good to have air support, _Charlotte thought warmly, until several thick streams of dark green liquid flew from the darkness and sizzled into the Wraiths, sending a few crashing to the ground in flames. The comm flooded with panicked chatter as the surviving Wraiths broke formation to evade another volley of acid streams. The instigators came into view: not mutalisk fliers, but large creatures with round bodies and several thick tentacles fluttering from their backs. Insectoid mandibles twitched at the creatures' mouths, which dribbled green saliva everywhere.

Xavier's Hellhounds were still several minutes away, so Miranda's Wraiths had to fend for themselves against this bizarre threat. Guides missiles flew every which way in the dark smoky air, leaving trails of light gray smoke. A few missiles exploded against the strange fliers, but the creatures' thick hides let them stay aloft with moderate injuries. In retaliation, they spewed another wave of liquid, this time a vivid green mucus that coated the Wraiths and slowed them down. Mutalisks fluttered onto the scene, their glaive wurms whirling every which way. Much to Charlotte's surprise, the projectiles easily tore into the Wraiths as though they were made of butter rather than armor.

"Son of a bitch! How can this be happening?" Miranda cursed. Her Viking narrowly avoided a mutalisk, then swooped down and launched its torpedoes at one of the strange fliers. Her rounds tore through the creature, spilling its innards and blood all over the place like a gruesome firework. Its corpse tumbled through the air and flopped to the ground, rallying the rest of the air forces. The Wraiths regrouped and focused their fire, sending two more of the strange creatures to the earth. Mutalisk corpses started to fall too, their bodies scorched by Wraith missiles. "Their mucus corrupts our armor and weakens its integrity," Miranda noticed. "Men, I'm designating this new Zerg strain as 'corrupter'."

"This is Captain Pierce of the Umojan 1st Army!" a deep voice barked on the general comm. "Hellhounds, now would be a good time for some cover!"

_Well, let's get a feel for the battlefield, _Charlotte thought with nervous optimism as the aerial battle raged on, and she led her scout forces over a wide line of hills to behold the battle itself.

Things didn't look good.

The fires were clearer from here, great bonfires that burned away all the grass and made everything look blood red. The Umojan army fled toward the nearby line of bunkers and wide trenches, but hot on their heels scurried _thousands _of zerglings, roaches, hydralisks, and other strange strains Charlotte hadn't seen before. The Hellhounds siege tanks rumbled toward the trenches to take up siege-mode positions with the Umojan Army tanks, while the marines and Marauders focused on covering the Umojans. In turn, Charlotte's forces had to cover for the Hellhounds infantry and tanks.

"Here goes!" Charlotte howled as she zoomed into the thick of things, tires kicking up dirt as she pushed her hellion to full throttle. The Hellhounds infantry opened fire on the approaching Zerg and took heavy fire in return, hydralisk spines and roach saliva burning through soldier after soldier. Determined not to see her fellows die, Charlotte got a lock on a hydralisk and flung her four short-range missiles at it, blasting the scythe-armed monster into bloody, flaming pieces. The other hellions raced around everywhere like go-karts, torching any Zerg that got within reach. Confused, random Zerg turned from firing at the Hellhounds infantry to attack the hellions, but then they took fire from the infantry instead. Charlotte felt her heart swell with pride as her scouts raced expertly through the Zerg ranks, constantly throwing off the aliens' assault.

"Yeeeaaargh!" a hellion pilot shouted as an angry roach slashed his front tires off with a slash of its sharp front leg, sending his hellion skidding to a halt. The roach expelled a stream of hot, corrosive green saliva that melted the hellion in half and silenced the pilot's cries. More cries echoed on the comm as a few more hellions got shredded by hydralisk spines or clawed apart by zerglings. Hundreds of charred Zerg lay scattered on the bumpy plain, but more kept coming.

"Fall back, scouts! The main forces are settling into position. You've done enough," Miranda's voice announced.

Charlotte's turret rattled as its cluster of autocannon shells decimated a zergling. "Copy that. Falling back to the trenches."

A Vulture crashed and burned as hydralisk spines tore apart its engines, but the rest of the scouts raced across the battlefield to the safety of the trenches. By now, siege tanks rested in their positions and had their support legs deployed, their turrets shifted to siege mode. As one, the tanks aimed their Crucio cannons and fired, shattering the air with their concerted booms. A minor earthquake ensued as dozens of explosions ravaged the charging Zerg swarm, blasting countless hydralisks and roaches into the air and cooking them alive. Craters from the cannon blasts slowed down the remaining Zerg, giving the infantry time to set themselves up in their bunkers.

The Zerg had other ideas.

Suddenly, the Zerg stopped charging and the hydralisks fell back, rapidly shrinking away from the front lines. Not only that, but the bulky roaches burrowed into the earth and simply vanished as though trying to weather a storm. The Zerglings merely lingered in place, taunting the siege tanks by lurking just outside effective cannon range.

"Just what are they waiting for?" Nick wondered out loud on the comm.

"Whatever it is, it ain't gonna work!" Trevor added contemptuously.

Then, Charlotte activated her optical zoom and beheld yet another strange sight: hundreds of zergling-sized creatures emerged from the distant hills to the battlefield, their bodies swollen with sacs of green liquid. As soon as the new creatures joined the zerglings, the roaches suddenly emerged from the earth, forming a living wall that shielded the zerglings and sac-creatures from the siege tanks' line of sight. Then, the roaches packed themselves tightly into a gap-free wall and advanced as quickly as they could, their lesser brethren tagging along behind them.

The siege tanks opened fire once again, showering the Zerg with explosive shells. After only one volley, however, more roaches erupted from the ground: this time, right along the siege tank formations. The tank pilots howled in agony as the roaches corroded the tanks into pieces with their acid saliva, disrupting the tanks' defensive fire. Meanwhile, the roach wall drew ever nearer to the trenches and bunkers.

"Cover those tanks! We need them!" Miranda shouted in general, and Charlotte leaped into action. Pushing her foot onto the gas pedal and ordering her men to follow her, she raced over to the nearest siege tanks and loosed a fight of missiles that exploded against the nearest roach. The roach shrieked as chunks of its chitinous armor flew everywhere, and it whirled around and released a stream of deadly saliva. Wrenching her steering wheel to the side, Charlotte curved away from the attack and let her Vulture bike platoon hammer that roach and the others with grenades, blowing apart several of them and forcing the others to retreat.

Even though the Umojan and Hellhound infantry fought off the ambush roaches, Charlotte realized that it was too little, too late. She watched as Marauders in the bunkers tried to destroy the roach wall, but their grenades hardly even slowed the roaches down as the roaches got very close to the Terran line. _Where the hell are Xavier's Hellhounds? Is he letting us get butchered before showing up to save the day and hog the glory? _Charlotte cursed. The Marauders fired again, but this time they angled their grenades to bounce off the roaches' backs and explode against the zerglings and sac-creatures behind them. The new strategy started to work... but then the Zerg unleashed their next trick.

"Get back!" a tank commander shouted, but he was too late. The sac-creatures pounced from behind the roaches and landed all over the bunkers, then one by one, the creatures exploded violently and sprayed corrosive juices everywhere like living bombs. The bunkers flew apart under the assault and the few surviving marines and Marauders in the bunkers were slaughtered by the zerglings that charged in for the kill. Thousands of Gauss rifles fired and Punisher grenades flew every which way as the remaining infantry fought for their lives, filling the trenches with dead zerglings, roaches, and sac-creatures.

Charlotte led her scout force into the fray, ripping apart a nearby sac-creature with her autocannon turret. "Sheesh! Those things are the bane of bunkers and other armored targets. They need a name... how about 'baneling'?"

"Fine with me!" a hellion pilot said tightly, narrowly avoiding an angry roach's saliva stream. The aerial battle continued overhead as Charlotte weaved through the land engagement, her autocannon turning this way and that to acquire Zerg targets. Countless shells erupted from the turret and sliced apart the Zerg as they came, but then the hydralisks emerged into the battle and added their organic spines to the mix.

"Yee-haw! You're messing with the wrong Reaper, bug-brains!" Trevor shouted in glee, his Nitro jetpack spitting fire as he vaulted into the air, frustrating a pack of zerglings intent on maiming him. Under his Reaper helmet, Trevor cracked a wolfish grin and squeezed the triggers of his dual Scythe pistols, the heavy bullets tearing the zerglings into bloody pieces one by one. Drifting over to the ruins of a bunker, Trevor caught the attention of a hydralisk and let the monster get closer. Roaring its bloodlust, the hydralisk tensed up and unleashed a volley of organic spines through the air, but Trevor was faster. He fired up his jet pack again and let the spines whoosh harmlessly past, then he arced into the air and landed on the hydralisk's shoulders. The beast squirmed and reached up with its scythe-like hands, so Trevor quickly jammed his pistol barrels at the hydralisk's long skull and pumped it full of lead, blasting blood and shards of chitin everywhere.

Trevor leaped off the hydralisk just in time to land in front of a roach that hissed in anger, its three eyes staring unflinchingly at the deadly Reaper before it. In contempt, Trevor raised his pistols and fired a few rounds, but the roach withdrew its head into its armored body like a turtle and the bullets merely bounced off its armor. The roach re-emerged its head and opened its jaws wide to vomit its acidic saliva, only to have a hand-thrown mine land right in its mouth and get stuck in its throat. The roach made a muffled shriek of alarm right before the mine exploded, blowing the creature apart from the inside.

"How do you like that?" Trevor howled, admiring his perfect throw. _Those little mines really do come in handy! I – uh-oh! _Three hydralisks suddenly convened on him, filling the air with their spines. Trevor shouted as the spines grazed his body, and one of them sank deep into his chest. Growling, the Reaper seized the needle and yanked it out, turning his attention back to his attackers. "Come and get it!" Within a few bullet-filled minutes, he slew all three monsters and flew away.

Just as Charlotte wondered if any reinforcements would ever come, they did: the arrival of Xavier's Hellhounds came just in time, since the Terran defense was crumbling under the intense pressure of the Zerg assault. Not only did Hellhounds infantry and Vikings charge into the fray, but a brand-new vehicle came in too. A squadron of Banshee tactical strike craft buzzed onto the field, the aircraft aiming their turrets at the numerous Zerg below. The air was suddenly filled with countless air-to-ground missiles that peppered the earth with explosions, vaporizing Zerg all over the place. The roaches reared back their heads to attack back, but the Banshees were too high up and the saliva streams arced back down to the earth instead. Mutalisks convened on the Banshees and their combined glaive wurms took one down, but Hellhounds Vikings shot down half of the Mutalisks and scared the other half away.

_Finally! Now we can show the Zerg what the Hellhounds can do! _Charlotte thought gleefully, suddenly firing her weapons with much more enthusiasm. The Banshees circled high overhead, diving as a team and showering the Zerg with another onslaught of their missiles. At the same time, Hellhounds Goliaths, tanks, and Marauders used their heavy firepower to push the Zerg back.

Then the Zerg got their own reinforcements.

"It's those things again!" Nick gasped as clusters of armored, slug-like monsters erupted from the earth. The infestors wasted no time in wreaking havoc all over the place. Some of them emerged close to Goliaths and tanks, taking the vehicles by surprise. Organic cords shot out of the infestors and the jaws on the neural parasite cords chewed their way into the cockpits of the Goliaths and tanks, grabbing hold of the pilots' heads and assuming control of the vehicles. Confused chatter flooded the comm as Goliaths mowed down infantry with their twin autocannons and siege tanks blew apart non-infested Goliaths with their heavy cannons.

Thankfully, Trevor and a pack of his fellow Reapers flew over to the scene and got to work, hurling their handheld mines and blasting the infestors apart one by one. Charlotte sighed a breath of relief as one particular tank was de-infested, the infestor incinerated by Trevor's squad. However, the infestors quickly rallied against the Reaper threat and presented a new challenge. As soon as Trevor and his gang leaped at their fifth infestor target, the infestor opened up its back and expelled a dozen large green eggs that rolled across the ground, pulsating and slimy. The eggs cracked and split apart, and the Reapers recoiled at the sight of what came out of them: infested marines, the men's bodies physically and mentally enslaved by the Swarm. Gauss rifles blazed fire as the infested marines slowly lumbered forward, their tentacles and chitin armor protecting them from the Reapers' pistol fire. One Reaper went down, and then other and another.

"Screw this!" Trevor cursed as the infestor rumbled its amusement. He tumbled to avoid fire from the infested marines, then hurled his last handheld mine at them. The lumbering marines didn't even notice the small metal device at their feet, but they certainly noticed the resulting fireball that scorched most of them into cinders. Heartened, the surviving Reapers descended on the infestor and riddled it with pistol fire, disintegrating its head. The creature's lifeless body slumped to the soft, war-torn earth.

Elsewhere, the other infestors added their own infested marine squads to the battle, and the sudden extra firepower shifted the tides of battle back to the Zerg's favor. The infested marines even turned their guns upward, downing a Banshee and two Vikings unfortunate enough to get caught in the fire.

"I've never seen anything like that," Charlotte breathed in horror. "Zerg carrying around infested humans? When did they start doing that?"

"When they decided to go from being evil bastards to _really _evil bastards," Nick joked darkly. His tank's armor was shredded and corroded from roach and hydralisk fire. "This ain't lookin' good."

When another army of hydralisks popped out of the earth and riddled the Terrans with their combined spine fire, Miranda had had enough. "Fall back to the third line!" she bellowed on the comm. "This is it, folks, our last line of trenches and bunkers. Double-time! There's more Umojan forces back at the third line. We'll live... for a while."

"No!" Trevor howled, hearing the order to retreat in his comm. He raised his pistols and tore apart two stray zerglings with his bullets. "Run away? We're just getting started!"

"We've just started getting killed, sir!" a panicking Reaper trembled, lowering his pistols in defeat.

"Don't be stupid!" Trevor growled, smacking the Reaper with a gloved hand. "The strong survive by fighting back! I won't run away!"

"I sure will!" the Reaper quipped, then he fired up his Nitro jetpack and roared off at top speed, leaving the Zerg far behind. One by one, the Reapers of Trevor's squad flew off and joined the rest of the retreating Hellhounds, leaving their commander behind.

Loose earth flew into the air as Charlotte raced across the battlefield at top speed, her hellions' engines whining from the effort. Her damage indicator showed that all her armor was worn thin and her suspension was damaged, but otherwise she was operational. Still, the Zerg pursued the fleeing Hellhounds and fired pot shots here and there at their retreating backs, and a stray hydralisk spine punched into Charlotte's left missile pod, causing sparks and smoke to fly from its casing. "Left missile launcher offline," the HUD's automated voice stated. _Well, ain't that lovely? _Charlotte cursed.

Overhead, Miranda made top speed with her Viking and eluded the pursuing mutalisks and corrupters, her long years of being a flight jockey paying off. Still, there was a matter to settle and she tapped into a certain comms channel. "So, Xavier Daniels. Looks like fellow Hellhounds should look out for each other right now, huh?"

"I'm not going to do what you're suggesting," Daniels' voice retorted. "Once my men get clear of the Zerg, we're leaving for Dominion space. Mengsk needs us to defend the core worlds."

"Traitor!" Miranda hissed back. "You'll leave us to our fate? You've seen first-hand what the Zerg are doing to the Protectorate! I can't hold this world alone!"

"Yes, you can. You're the famed Miranda, the Viking jock," Daniels told her firmly. "Listen, Miranda. Mengsk is giving me Banshees, the newest Raven models, and even upgrades to our existing hardware! This is the future of the Hellhounds, achieving greatness in the fire of war at Mengsk's side. Getting slaughtered for your homeland is not what it means to be a Hellhound."

"Then you've learned nothing about loyalty," Miranda replied heavily. "If you were smart, you'd stay here and join me. We're needed here."

Daniels huffed. "Don't try to guilt me into this, Miranda. I founded the Hellhounds and I know what's good for this mercenary army! I'm giving you one more chance to see my way. If not, then the next time we meet, well... there might not be any Zerg to get in the way."

"See you around," Miranda spat, then cut off the channel. She resolutely stood by her honorable decision to stay by Minister Jorgensen's side, but she couldn't help a cold feeling of dread in her gut.

"Get back here, cowards!" Trevor bellowed as he rocketed after his fellow Reapers, trying to keep up with the retreating Hellhounds. He fired a few bullets into the air out of frustration. "Just who do you think we are?"

"People who want to survive, sir!" another Reaper told him. "We were told by our CO to retreat! That's what we gotta do!"

Trevor gnashed his teeth. Turning around, he hovered in the air and snapped off a dozen shots, tearing apart a trio of zerglings that tried to attack him. "No, _that's_ what we gotta do! Kill our enemies! Defend our homeland! We have to... whoa!"

A hydralisk emerged out of the ground from behind Trevor, bellowing its bloodlust. The Reaper whirled around and fired, but in his panic he missed the creature's vital spots and merely wounded it. Four zerglings converged on the harassed Reaper, their claws pulling him to the earth and ravaging his body. "No! No! Get off me!" Trevor shouted as he struggled to get the creatures away, and a lucky shot blasted the brain out of a zergling and scared the other three away. Bleeding and wincing from broken bones, Trevor slowly got to his feet just in time to see the hydralisk loom over him. The monster roared and impaled him with both of its sickle-like claws, sending the Reaper commander sprawling onto his back.

"Sir!" Two Reapers came back, chasing away the hydralisk with their combined fire. They knelt by their fallen commander and hoisted him up, ferrying him across the battlefield at top speed.

"Sir, can you hear me?" one Reaper shouted to Trevor over the din of the waning battle. The commander only groaned faintly, his body broken and bleeding all over. "I don't think he's going to make it," the Reaper told his companion, voice heavy with worry. The other Reaper said nothing but thought much the same.


	10. Chapter 9

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 9**

_**Medical facility, Icarus IV,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 15, 2504**_

All day and night, medivacs arrived at the Icarus IV medical facility's grounds, touching down to unload countless injured soldiers from the front lines. As often as they came, the medivacs departed once again, soaring off into the horizon to bring back another troop bay full of casualties of Kerrigan's invasion. Although the sun shined bright and huge white clouds floated serenely in the sky, the situation for the Umojans could not have been more grim.

Doctor Katherine Taylor held her head in her hands, trying to ease her pounding headache a little as she pored over a stack of documents on her desk. Even though she had dimmed her office lights and closed the window's blinds, the heavy burden of her work seemed no lighter, the endless stream of injured men and women still coming just as fast. As the head doctor of the Hellhounds, Dr. Taylor felt the responsibility to look after all her patients' lives and give them a fighting chance. Still...

_Does everyone expect me to be a goddess or what? _Dr. Taylor grumbled to herself, tossing aside a paper. Her suit and white coat were soaked with a light layer of perspiration. _I can only do so much here! Most likely, more than half of the casualties in the wards won't even make it. But I don't have the heart to tell anyone that. I haven't seen my family for months either. Sometimes I wonder if this is really worth the salary._

Dr. Taylor felt a flash of guilt for putting herself before her patients, but she had a right to avoid being burdened to death. Thankfully, the Zerg strike force had been stymied by the third defensive line here in Icarus IV, but no doubt the Zerg would get reinforcements and attack again sometime, probably sooner than later. And they had dumped more than enough casualties on the lap of Dr. Taylor and her staff in the meantime.

_You're lucky, you know that? _Dr. Taylor thought, reaching over and picking up a framed picture of her husband Bert, a lightly bearded man standing with his two sons. _Being a novelist sounds like a lot more fun than this grinding routine. _In fact, Dr. Taylor had a copy of her husband's two fiction books on her desk, but she had never found the time to get very far into them; the bookmarks in them hadn't budged in days.

"Dr. Taylor, we've received the last shipment of casualties," one of Taylor's junior doctors reported on the comm device on her desk. "And get this... the famed Reaper, Trevor, is among them. He's in critical condition."

"Mmmmmm," Dr. Taylor commented, unsure what exactly to say. _His death would either damage the Hellhounds' morale, or boost it. He's good, but his bad attitude is legendary. _"Well, just take care of him like anyone else. I'm busy."

"Actually, Dr. Taylor... there are some men from Umoja here who want to see you," the junior doctor hesitated. "They show a keen interest in Trevor, something about experimental medicine."

Dr. Taylor's stomach lurched. _Sounds kind of interesting. Beats the hell out of what I'm doing! _"I'll be right down there."

A short elevator ride took Dr. Taylor from her office on the top floor to the ground level, and not long after she strode out of the elevator car did four men in Umojan official uniforms confront her. "Dr. Katherine Taylor?" one of them asked promptly, but not rudely. He had short black hair and a rather square jaw. All four men held themselves with dignity, their backs ramrod-straight.

"Yes, I am she," Dr. Taylor responded, trying not to sound as tired as she was. "What is this about?"

"We regret that the famed Trevor is about to lose his life," the man said heavily, leading the way down the hallway to one of the wards. "But we can give him a second chance, on behalf of Minister Jorgensen's medical research department. Trevor himself is in no condition to agree or disagree, seeing as he is in an unconscious state, but with your permission..."

"You want to make him into a guinea pig?" Dr. Taylor asked sharply.

The man pushed open the door and entered the ward, passing by bed-ridden patients and their nurses. "Not... exactly, no," he said slowly. "Doctor, I want only what's best for the Protectorate and the Hellhounds. My name is Zachary Guimier, one of Minister Jorgensen's top officials."

"I've never heard your name before," Dr. Taylor frowned.

Zachary laughed lightly. "Well, my work is prominent, but I as a person tend to keep to myself. Rest assured, though, that the methods Minister Jorgensen wants to employ are well-tested and entirely comply with the Umojan code of medicine."

By now, the party arrived at the patient in question. Trevor did not look good: many thick white bandages and casts held his body together, and various wires and tubes maintained and kept track of his vital signs and fluids. His heart rate was regular but weak, and upon inspection of his medical charts, Dr. Taylor guessed that he had only days to live. "What exactly can you do for him?" she asked faintly. She tried not to look at Trevor's face.

"This may sound as bizarre as it is miraculous, doctor, but Jorgensen wants to use Trevor as a model for cutting-edge cyborg technology," Zachary explained. "With the right bodily enhancements, Trevor will keep his life and regain full body function. He won't really be whole anymore... but he will live."

Dr. Taylor looked back at Trevor and recalled how the Reaper prided himself in his combat record and physical abilities. "He'll maintain the lifestyle he enjoys?"

"More or less," Zachary shrugged. "We can't make any guarantees about that, but his life will be spared and Umoja won't lose its best Reaper. What do you say?"

Swallowing hard, Dr. Taylor looked among the four men, who did their best to look sincerely supportive and understanding. _My medical facilities are taxed to the maximum, and if Jorgensen wants it... _"All right, I'll transfer the patient to your facilities on Umoja. I'll need to see a request in paper, though."

"Already done." Zachary smiled as he handed over a document. Dr. Taylor quickly scanned its contents and signed it with her pocket's pen.

"Best of luck, gentlemen," she told them, handing over the paper. _I just hope this works. I want to go home and rest so badly..._

"Thank you, doctor," Zachary smiled again.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Bridge, Battlecruiser **_**Dire Wolf, ****_Braxis orbit,_**

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**December 15, 2504**_

On a large, well-lit screen, a handful of Protoss warriors made their way across a bleak wasteland, tirelessly pursuing whatever they were after. Xavier Daniels and Colonel Falcon stood at rapt attention, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the bridge as they focused on their targets. Apparently, the Protoss either didn't notice or didn't mind the tiny spy cam that followed them like a lost dog.

"What could possibly be of interest on Van Osten's Moon?" Daniels wondered out loud, not bothering to keep the frustration out of his voice. "It's nothing but wasteland and ancient ruins."

"The Protoss don't do things without good reason," Falcon mused, watching the Protoss start to climb a ridge of tall, rocky hills. "There's got to be something on that planet they want. Perhaps a hidden cache of weapons or data."

"Well, they sure must have lost the map to it," Daniels scoffed. "Those Protoss look like they don't know the location of their target. They do seem to know it's present on the planet, though."

"A developing Zerg hive, perhaps?" Falcon offered. "One that's not worth glassing the planet from orbit?"

Daniels' mind whirred. "They'd avoid glassing in order to keep a low profile, but when did the Protoss ever fear us humans?"

"Well, their numbers _did _take a serious blow with the fall of Aiur," Falcon offered. "If I were them, I'd sure play it safe when there's both the Zerg and us to consider."

Watching the Protoss continue their work, a different idea occurred to Daniels. "Perhaps they hide from us not out of fear, but wanting to keep their objective secret. They're after something they value more than their lives and would go to any measure to keep us from finding or taking it from them."

"A weapons cache, it sounds like," Falcon pressed his earlier point. "God knows Mengsk wouldn't mind getting some Protoss tech."

"Or maybe something even greater, something we don't know about," Daniels said slowly. "And if it is, I'll be damned if I don't find out what it is."

Falcon stiffened. "Are you sure you can afford to spare the manpower to hunt down the Protoss and find out their secrets?"

"If the Protoss are willing to risk it all, so am I," Daniels said firmly. "Whatever they're after could possibly change everything! It's worth looking into."

"Mengsk will want his share of it," Falcon reminded the Hellhounds CO.

Daniels tried to resist a smile. "In that case, he'd better send me some reinforcements. I like the sound of those Raven combat drones. They could come in handy for this mission."

Falcon thought it over. "I'll take a shuttle back to Korhal and propose your idea to Mengsk," he said at last. "Let's just hope we don't end up wasting the Emperor's time... and ours."

"Believe me, I've got a good feeling about this," Daniels commented.


	11. Chapter 10

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 10**

_**Unknown place,**_

_**Unknown time**_

At last Trevor's senses started to creep back into function, and the Reaper slowly began to regain some semblance of consciousness. He wondered if he was waking up in the debriefing room in the Hellhounds command center or the medical bay of the _Fenris_. He seemed to be lying down and he didn't know if he'd been out for five minutes or five years. He tried to sit up but his numb body simply lay there like a piece of stone, his sluggish brain shoving uselessly against his body.

_Uggh. Forget it. Too tired... to do anything, _Trevor mumbled inside his head. _Gonna sleep... I wonder what I'll... have for breakfast..._

Once again Trevor didn't know how long he stayed asleep, but this time eyes snapped open and clarity flooded into his brain. A simple, clean steel ceiling greeted him with small circular lights flooding his retinas rather painfully. Gasping, Trevor forced his disobedient body upwards, cursing his clumsy stiffness. There was no one else here.

"What's going on here?" the proud Reaper croaked, surprised how dry his voice felt. On a small table next to him sat a bottled water, and he eagerly reached for it. His arm slowly extended toward the liquid treat, but he was already clad in Reaper armor of shiny blue and silver, rather than the Hellhounds colors of red and black. Deciding not to worry about it for now, the Reaper forced his stiff fingers to unscrew the bottled water's cap and he chugged its contents, his dry throat welcoming the cool flood. Smacking his lips, Trevor heaved himself off the flat, metal bed and got to his feet.

A nauseating wave of vertigo sent him toppling.

"Damn it!" With a surprisingly loud clatter and heavy _thunk_, Trevor collapsed and sprawled across the floor as though hit with a stun dart. Grunting, he scrabbled on the smooth floor like desperate turtle, forcing himself to his hands and knees, gasping and panting against the dizzying swirl of sensations in his brain and ears. _Mother of God, what's wrong with me? I can't just be out of shape from sleeping so long... it's like I forgot how to walk!_

Now trying to fight off a wave of panic, Trevor muttered a curse and seized the bed's edge and hauled himself up, glad that his body was still strong, if rather clumsy. Slowly, but smoothly, he drew himself to his full height and looked around the place. The sights of a simple medical room greeted him: a wide wash sink, a table of surgery tools, a few X-ray sheets against a glowing panel. Trevor didn't like the sight of how broken those bones were.

"Hello?" Trevor called out, then felt silly; there was no one else here and the door was shut... but was it locked? Frowning, Trevor slowly limped to the door and swung it open, beholding a gently-lit hallway beyond. He crept out of the room and swallowed hard, wondering if he had been kidnapped somehow. _What if one of Xavier's men got me? Am I on Korhal, or the _Dire Wolf_'s medical bay? _His breathing was hard and ragged, but his heart didn't beat at all and he didn't sweat a drop. Taking a few steps down the hall, Trevor thumped a fist against his chest armor, cursing his persistent numbness and lack of a hard heart rate.

_Screw it! What did Daniels do to me? _Trevor tore off his armor one piece at a time in the rather mansion-like hallway, letting the metal plates fall to the floor so he could examine his flesh.

He didn't have much.

Under the armor were wires, tubes, glowing lights, and countless interwoven motors and gears set into a metal parody of a human skeleton. His internal organs rested in plastic shells inside his metal body, sustained by advanced medical technology. Fighting off another wave of panic and confusion, Trevor clawed at his arm plates and beheld two arms of pure metal and wires, all the way from shoulder to fingertip, prosthetic all the way.

"No... no, this is impossible. What's happened to me... what's happened to me?" Trevor growled to himself, his voice growing louder as the horror of this reality sank in. "What is going on here?"

"There he is! He's getting used to that body rather quickly," a sudden voice said from behind. Trevor whirled around and beheld two armored marines bearing the logo of the Umojan Protectorate walking toward him, their Gauss assault rifles slung on their backs.

Trevor backed up as quickly as his awkward metal body allowed. "What's going on here? What happened to me?"

The marines raised the glass ports on their helmets to set Trevor at ease. The second one spoke, "Easy, Trevor. You're in a medical facility, but I can't give you more detail than that right now."

Trevor wasn't convinced. "Why me? Whose idea was this?"

The first marine took a step forward. "I can say this much: this facility is run by a certain Doctor Julie Hanson, who is studying advanced cyborg technology. You're a casualty of the Zerg and a valuable soldier. She chose you and a few others to prove to the world that Umoja technology is the best."

"So I'm just your test subject?" Trevor snapped. "That's all I've become now?"

"For the time being," the second marine said, getting out a stun baton. "But in time you'll be back on the front lines better than ever. Now get back to your bed. I can't let you risk running around and damaging your delicate innards. There's work yet to be done."

Realizing that he had no choice, and honestly intrigued by the implications, Trevor kept his eyes on the stun baton as he slowly edged back to his room. "This had better pay off," he muttered.

"That's what we're all hoping," the first marine added.

_**Briefing room, Battlecruiser **_**Fenris****_, Icarus IV orbit,_**

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 23, 2504**_

Charlotte tried to hold back another yawn but she couldn't, so she clamped her gloved hand over her mouth as she yawned yet again from staying up the previous night helping Nick with his worsening headaches. Fortunately, Miranda merely found this amusing as she concluded the briefing, pointing up at the video screen. "We're finally assembling the weapons we need to fight back against the Zerg and any possible Dominion assault, but our production facilities are rather exposed. We've got a number of shipyards in orbit around Van Osten's Moon, which are working around the clock to boost our aerial assets... namely, Viking and Banshee tactical craft. Our mission is to defend those stations, because we've spotted a Zerg force moving in on the area. We cannot afford to lose those shipyards."

"Can we expect the Zerg to send a boarding party of some sort?" asked a member of the sniper unit.

Miranda shook her head. "The Zerg would just have to cripple the yards' docks and outer equipment, and then it wouldn't matter what's on the inside. Us Hellhounds will provide AA defense against any possible -"

Suddenly, Charlotte felt wide awake as the floor lurched like a roused beast, and everyone was suddenly sprawling or seizing handholds to avoid toppling to the floor. Thumps and rattles quaked the _Fenris_' hull and Miranda switched on her comm set. "Bridge, report!" She listened for a few seconds and then barked, "Hold them off while Umojan assets provide backup! Hold them off!"

To the Hellhounds present, Miranda added breathlessly, "The _Fenris _is under attack from a massive Zerg aerial force. Everyone, get to shelter while the crew deals with this nuisance."

Another, more violent quake shuddered the hull and Charlotte heard metal groaning and creaking, and a few warning klaxons suddenly blared to life on the walls. She wasted no time in joining the other unit commanders in their rush out of the briefing room and to shelter, but the _Fenris _continued to creak and rumble as she made her way to her private bunk. _Did the Zerg know we were going to defend the shipyards? They're well-informed! _A worse possibility occurred to her as she rounded a corner. _Or maybe Daniels lured the Zerg here to take us out, and thus let the Zerg overwhelm the shipyards to force us to re-integrate with the Dominion-affiliated Hellhounds. Would he go that far? Cut off a finger to get the rest of the arm back? I wouldn't put it past him... and who could his source be?_

Charlotte was now close to the _Fenris_' hull, and she yelped as a Zerg corrupter rammed itself against a nearby view port, the monster's jaws scrabbling against the thick glass. Vile green ooze seeped from its mandibles and began to eat away at the window, until one of the many Wraith fighter planes guarding the _Fenris _punished the corrupter with its missiles and chased it off. Seconds later, the Wraith was torn to metal shreds by a trio of marauding mutalisks.

"Charlotte! What's going on?" demanded a familiar voice as Nick came stumbling down the hall, his face exhausted but alarmed at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" Charlotte blurted.

Nick rubbed his head. "I-I was going to the lounge since my head was starting to feel better, but..." He was nearly thrown against the wall as the _Fenris _lurched again. "But now this! Are we under attack? By Daniels? Or the Zerg?"

"Zerg," Charlotte confirmed grimly, rushing over and taking Nick's hand as she led him down the hall. "Come on! We'll hold up in my room. It's pretty secure..."

She and Nick took only a few steps, however, when a large chunk of the _Fenris _crumpled inwards, tearing through the inside decks and hallways. This hallway buckled and caved in, the wall panels snapping and stream exploding out of breached pipes. Charlotte shrieked and covered her face with her hands, then Nick threw her down to the floor to avoid a sudden blast of steam from the wall. He held himself over Charlotte, knowing that they couldn't brave the jungle of pipes, live wires, and collapsed walls up ahead. "Are you all right?" he shouted over the din.

"Y-yeah," Charlotte groaned back. Her whole body ached. "This is a battlecruiser! How can the Zerg do this to us?"

"Leave it to them to kick our butts," Nick responded with forced cheer. Before Charlotte could respond, the both of them suddenly felt time slow down and stretch out like rubber, and space itself contorted its dimensions to near-infinite lengths. The _Fenris _was making a desperation jump, and Charlotte and Nick felt themselves thrown into the void as the battlecruiser warped away.


	12. Chapter 11

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 11**

_**Upper atmosphere, Van Osten's Moon,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 23, 2504**_

Charlotte was eternally grateful for one comforting thought: the battle-damaged _Fenris _had the capability to make a controlled descent into the atmosphere of Van Osten's Moon, angling toward the cold, bleak surface. The engines sputtered and strained to keep the battlecruiser moving in a reasonably straight line, but the _Fenris _could not stay aloft and Charlotte doubted that it could take off again without some repairs. Still, she was thankful for the chance to live.

Her stomach wasn't so appreciative, though.

_Oh, sometimes I really hate travel, _Charlotte groaned as she hung on to an emergency handrail in one of the _Fenris_' hallways, fighting to keep conscious as the _Fenris _plummeted through Van Osten's Moon's atmosphere at an alarming speed. She almost felt weightless against the G-forces, almost levitating off the hallway floor as she gripped the handrail so tightly her hands started to go numb. Beside her, Nick winced and bared his teeth as he hung onto another handrail for dear life, and the loud rumbling and creaking throughout the ship did nothing to ease the minds of either Hellhound.

After what felt like an eternity, Charlotte's stomach lurched as the _Fenris _flattened its descent angle and she felt her body grow heavier and slump to the floor. Charlotte tried to keep her stomach from churning as the battlecruiser finished its descent, but she knew that the landing itself would be worse. Seconds later, the entire _Fenris _shuddered violently as though a thousand bombs had detonated on its hull. The whole ship rattled and rumbled loudly as it scraped along the frigid planet's rocky surface, sending jagged flakes of armor flying everywhere as the battlecruiser skidded on the planet's surface. The metallic creaks grew even louder as the ship strained to keep itself together, and for a moment Charlotte's mind was flooded with the certainty of death: what if the _Fenris _broke apart and ignited its ruptured fuel lines, baking everyone alive in an oven of twisted metal?

_Come on, you stupid ship! _Charlotte prayed in her mind, her bones aching as the _Fenris _kept rattling on its landing slide. Then, with one final screech of tons of metal against rock, the _Fenris _slowed to a halt like a bus at a station, causing a last few creaks to echo throughout the ship as the _Fenris _settled into place. Then, there was dead silence.

Charlotte groaned as she lost her grip on the railing, flopping onto her back and staring up at the warped ceiling. Breathing hard, Nick let go of his handrail and slowly crept toward Charlotte, his body trembling and hair matted with sweat. All the same, he tenderly ran his hands over Charlotte's body. "A-are you okay?"

Unable to help a small smile, Charlotte craned her head up a little. "Yeah, I'm okay. You?"

"I must have hit my head," Nick muttered, clutching at his temples. "My brain feels like it's on fire! I don't think anything's broken, though."

"Well, there's a plus," Charlotte said bracingly, getting to her feet as quickly as her sore legs allowed. She extended a hand and Nick took it, also standing on his own two feet.

The intercom crackled to life. "Hellhounds, gather your gear and suit up. We're setting up a perimeter outside to defend the _Fenris _against any possible threat. Our technicians need a safe environment to work in," came Miranda's unmistakable voice.

Charlotte turned to Nick with a renewed smile. "Our work's never done, is it?"

"I guess not!" Nick shook his head in dismay, but he couldn't help sharing Charlotte's smile. "I'll see you out there."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Wastelands, Van Osten's Moon,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 23, 2504**_

Charlotte had to clench her teeth to keep them from rattling painfully together as she motored her way across the rocky, subzero surface of Van Osten's Moon. Behind her, five more hellions roved on the bumpy surface, kicking up clouds of icy dust and vapor as their rubber wheels ground into the earth. The thin, blue-gray sky overhead had no clouds, only a pale white sun throwing modest heat onto the surface.

"Wow. Sir, are you seeing this?" asked one hellion pilot as his vehicle drove by the base of a small mesa, one of many on the planet. Charlotte stole a glance and widened her eyes at the sight: the mesa's walls were not craggy or rough as she expected, but smooth, almost like glass. Thousands of various-colored gems glittered in the surface like fruits in a fruitcake, and Charlotte caught herself wondering if some unnatural force made the surface like this.

_No, that's ridiculous, _Charlotte shook her head. She gripped the steering wheel tighter as she drove over a ridge and was jostled in her seat. _There's no cosmic force that could make the surface like that! The Protoss glass planets, but not with such elegant perfection. And how did the gems get there?_

Shaking her head again, Charlotte gulped and focused on the bleak, rocky terrain ahead of her. Miranda wanted Charlotte's scout force to detect any Zerg or other hostile forces and report back to the downed _Fenris _if any were found, while an airborne scout force of Wraiths investigated in the opposite direction. The _Fenris _and all its crew were basically a giant sitting duck. If any ambushes were launched, that could be the end of Miranda's Hellhounds.

"Do you think any Protoss might be here?" asked another hellion pilot some time later.

"What makes you think that?" Charlotte asked idly, eager for any reason to ease the dullness of this mission, however important it might be.

"Oh, I dunno," came the pilot's voice. "This place feels so serene and beautiful, what with those glass-gem mesas and all. Plus, there's no Zerg. Maybe the Protoss killed them all!"

"I would sure like that, but you never know," Charlotte shrugged as she guided her hellion around a clump of chalk-white boulders. "Maybe the Zerg _are _here and we haven't found them yet."

This acted nicely as a warning to stay alert in this potentially-hostile terrain, so Charlotte found radio silence as her force continued meandering along the planet's chilly, rocky surface.

Then a contact ping burst to life on Charlotte's radar.

"I've got something," Charlotte told her compatriots, staring hard at the yellow clump of pixels on the radar screen on her dashboard. On this radar system, green indicated friendlies, red dots were for hostile objects, and yellow was for unknown. Charlotte's gut clenched. "I don't know what we're dealing with here. I've got yellow. Stay close and slow down. Keep a low profile."

Heart suddenly hammering, Charlotte eased off the gas pedal a little and steered a little to the side, not wanting to meet the unidentified object head-on. Rather, she hoped to find cover behind a boulder and get a peek at her quarry, and she ordered her fellows to stay behind while she got into position. A particularly large, quartz-colored boulder loomed nearby, close to the object. Charlotte slowed down even more and motored her way behind the rock, slowly inching her way out of the cover to get a good look.

On the plus side, the object was not a Zerg monster. It wasn't even Protoss, and its steely gray body and single engine port told Charlotte that this was a human invention, but for the life of her, she couldn't tell what. _What in the world is that thing? _Charlotte's mind raced as she gawked at the craft. The strange craft ambled along in the sky, propelled by one engine port that exhaled a steady stream of yellow-orange fire. The vehicle's pod-like body sported two long, thin wings that folded back in a tight V, and the insignia of the Terran Dominion showed up clearly on the vehicle's hull. This vehicle hovered along about two dozen yards above the planet's surface.

Swallowing hard at the menacing craft before her, Charlotte punched a few buttons on her dashboard and activated a scanner built into her modified hellion. According to the data glowing on her screen, this craft came from Dominion factories and was called a Raven. Even more interesting, it was a drone: no pilot sat inside the Raven, but rather, it was controlled remotely. _And that begs the question of where this Raven's operator could be, _Charlotte thought. _Maybe someone in a small orbiting ship, or a mobile HQ dropped down from orbit. I wonder, though, what this thing is doing here? It looks like it's scouting!_

Then, the Raven slowed to a halt and activated small jets all over its hull, turning around to face Charlotte's boulder directly. The craft hovered in place for a few seconds, and then a small hatch on the Raven's bow popped open and a volleyball-sized metal sphere floated out, covered in small spines and glowing red lights. The ball activated its own thrust port and arrowed right toward Charlotte's boulder like a comet.

_Damn it! _Abandoning all stealth, Charlotte slammed her foot to the gas pedal, her hellion's wheels screeching against the rocky, dusty ground. Her hellion roared away just in time: the spiny ball collided with the boulder and swallowed it in an ear-shattering fireball, hurling molten-hot chunks of rock everywhere.

"Scouts! We have a hostile Raven drone attacking us! Run, and lead it away from the _Fenris_!" Charlotte barked, not letting go of the gas pedal. On her radar, the dot indicating the Raven drifted closer to her hellion. The dot was now clearly red.

Charlotte and the other five hellions raced across the cold, bleak surface of Van Osten's Moon, no longer admiring the stunning gem formations in the glassy mesas as the scouts frantically tried to escape the marauding Raven. The Raven, however, proved its worth: more fire blasted from its engine port and the drone shot through the air at an alarming speed, lowering itself to a dozen yards above the cold ground. Another explosive emerged from the Raven's hull and rocketed toward the fleeing hellions, a steady beeping sound coming from the device. Charlotte realized that the explosive was homing in on her, and she wrenched her steering wheel to the side and curved sharply back and forth, weaving between boulders. However, the explosive kept up the chase like a determined bloodhound, navigating the boulder field with surprising agility.

_Why me? _Charlotte moaned, unwilling to turn around and bring her weapons to bear. Unlike standard hellions, Charlotte's could attack flying targets but that didn't make her invincible against this threat. Instead, she swerved around another boulder and sighed with relief as the explosive curved too slowly to keep up with its quarry. A ground-shuddering explosion blasted apart several nearby boulders, and one chunk of rock bounced off the Raven's hull with a loud _clang _and left a considerable dent in the craft's hull.

Keying into her tactical comm, Charlotte warned, "The Raven fires seeker missiles! Push your hellions to the limit and use cover or we're all finished!"

The other hellion pilots were only too eager to follow this advice, but the Raven, giving up on the elusive Charlotte, glided over to the other five hellions, which were still out in the open. A third seeker missile shot out of the Raven and caught one hellion's rear bumper. The hellion was vaporized in a cloud of fire and molten armor, the force of the detonation throwing the other hellions off-course. The surviving hellions followed Charlotte's idea and curved over to the boulder field, risking losing ground to the Raven in return for cover. A fourth seeker missile exploded against a cluster of boulders, but no hellions were destroyed.

"Just how do we stop this thing?" demanded a hellion pilot.

Charlotte swallowed. "Guys, I need you to take up the Raven's attention for as long as possible. I'm the only one who can shoot back against this thing, so make it expose its flank to me!"

Obediently, the four hellion pilots steered their craft in the open spaces between the boulders, enticing the Raven while Charlotte hung back and let the Raven fly past her without noticing her. Charlotte tailed the Raven, trying to get it within range of her guided short-range missile launchers while the Raven spat out another seeker missile. Charlotte winced as the resulting explosion rippled through the air, but after a quick comm check she confirmed no casualties. Then, the Raven arced to the side to catch a stray hellion, letting Charlotte drive straight and achieve a target-lock on the vicious Raven.

Pressing her thumbs on the firing buttons, Charlotte sent four missiles roaring out of her hellion's hull and the quartet of missiles closed in on the Raven. _I've got you! _Charlotte thought with triumph, but her celebration was cut short as the Raven's lower hull opened with a second, larger hatch and a new device popped out. This time, a disk-shaped machine lowered itself into the air and hovered along with the Raven like a faithful dog. More importantly, green laser beams shot out of the disk and intercepted Charlotte's missiles, blasting apart two of the warheads.

The other two missiles, however, got past the anti-air drone and exploded against the Raven's starboard side, scattering chunks of the Raven's armor across the rocky ground. The Raven wobbled and listed from the sudden loss of mass, the whole vehicle creaking from the effort. Still, the Raven stayed aloft and Charlotte saw little permanent damage except the loss of armor. _Wow, that thing's tough!_

Suddenly alerted to Charlotte's presence, the Raven whirled around and banked slightly lower, its defense drone hovering close for protection. Charlotte accelerated to full speed and wove between the boulders, hoping to once again elude her pursuer. _The last thing I wanted to do today was play cat and mouse! Isn't there any way to destroy this thing?_

Losing interest in Charlotte again, the Raven rocketed toward the other hellions and released yet another seeker missile, and this time Charlotte heard a cry in her comm that was cut off with the explosion. She broke free of the boulder field and back out to the open rocky plains, where there were a number of low hills, almost like frozen waves.

An idea popped into Charlotte's head.

"Everyone! Regroup on me! You _can _shoot this thing if you follow my plan," Charlotte barked on the comm. "And watch out for those seeker missiles. Don't bunch up!"

The Raven swerved from side to side, confused as the four total hellions scattered wide like frightened mice. Charlotte slid her crosshairs onto the Raven and fired another quartet of missiles at the craft's undamaged side, and once again, the hovering disk-drone lit the frigid air with its beams and vaporized three of the missiles. The last missile exploded against the Raven's port wing, rocking the craft but failing to throw it off-course.

Then, the other three hellions curved around and rocketed toward a particularly wide hill, taking up the Raven's attention. The Raven spat out a seeker missile, prompting Charlotte to wonder how many missiles the darned Raven had in its hull. In any case, the seeker missile snagged itself against the lip of the hill and exploded, but the hellions had already driven up the hill's other side and launched themselves off the hill like a ramp. The exploding seeker missile propelled the hellions through the air, and the airborne vehicles got within range of the Raven and unleashed three streams of fire. The Raven scuttled back in the air as tongues of flames bathed its surface, turning the whole Raven molten-hot and warping its armor. The defense drone got caught in the flames too and burst apart from the heat. Eager to finish the fight, Charlotte got a lock and let loose with all her weapons. Her autocannon turret's burst fire sheared off the Raven's damaged port wing, causing the whole Raven to sag from its position in the sky. Then, her four missiles rammed into the Raven like wolves on a moose, and the Raven's softened body blew apart in a ripple of fireballs.

Charlotte's three comrades landed heavily on the planet's surface, straining their suspension systems to the limit. Still, the hellions drove back into formation and watched as the Raven's smoking pieces scattered across the surface.

"And that's that," Charlotte commented simply, her fingers numb from gripping her steering wheel so tightly. She heaved a sigh of relief. "Let's report back to the _Fenris_. There's nothing we can do about the two men we lost, and Miranda will want to know about the Dominion's presence here on Van Osten's moon."

The four hellions set a nav course for the downed _Fenris _and made best possible speed back. Charlotte tapped into the Hellhounds radio channels and reported to Miranda. "I located and destroyed one Dominion Raven drone. We're not alone here."

"Good work," Miranda responded tightly. "And you're right: we're definitely not alone. A force of Xavier's Hellhounds and Dominion troops just touched down and laid siege to the _Fenris_! Get your tail back here now!"

Charlotte's insides turned to lead. _So soon? How could Xavier Daniels and the Dominion track us here? Even we didn't plan to arrive here! Unless... the Dominion has a hell of a spy network on this planet and they saw us coming in and tipped off Daniels. Of all the luck._ Charlotte and her surviving squad raced back to the _Fenris_, praying that they weren't too late.

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update, but life is busy.


	13. Chapter 12

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 12**

**Fenris _crash site, Van Osten's Moon,_**

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 23, 2504**_

The first sign of attack Charlotte found was a squadron of Dominion Banshees buzzing through the cold, thin air of Van Osten's Moon, all of them cutting a curvy path toward Charlotte's hellion squad. The propeller-driven aircraft dived a little lower and bore down straight on Charlotte's squad, the cover lids of their front-mounted missile launchers popping open to reveal dozens of missiles.

"Today's not a day of friendly skies!" quipped a hellion pilot, prompting Charlotte to yell at him to shut up, fueled by anxiety. _We can't get a break! _Charlotte fumed, gripping her steering wheel tighter. Her body felt weary and her helmet felt sweaty and heavy on her head. _First the Zerg ambush the _Fenris _and ground us here, and now the Dominion goes after us! It's an unforgiving universe out there, all right!_

The Banshees filled the air with a steady whine as they swooped even closer, and the aircraft were obscured in gray puffs of exhaust as their missiles roared out the front-mounted pods and rocketed through the air. Her body surging with adrenaline, Charlotte wrenched her steering wheel hard and cut a sharp angle across the boulder-strewn ground, narrowly avoiding a pair of missiles. The missiles exploded violently when they slammed into the rocky ground, erupting in vivid fireballs that rocked Charlotte's hellion even from many yards away. The other hellions similarly evaded the hailstorm of missiles, but Charlotte knew that her squad wouldn't last at this rate. She watched as boulders were blown apart and craters were blasted into the ground.

Charlotte tapped into the comm. "Make best possible speed to the _Fenris_! We're not going to win this skirmish today. Just get back to friendly lines!"

"Roger that," replied one hellion pilot. "But sir, can't you shoot them down?"

Watching the marauding Banshees swoop past overhead, Charlotte quickly weighed the odds. "I might take out one and scare off the rest, but if there are more Dominion forces around, which there probably are, then I alone won't get us out of this. Now move!"

The Banshees were well behind the hellions by now, but the craft banked sharply to make a return pass from behind and Charlotte didn't like the sound of that. Her surviving hellion allies whipped through boulder fields and across rocky hills, the massive, steel-gray _Fenris _coming into view once the hellion squad climbed one final row of hills. Even in its crashed state, the _Fenris _was a marvel to behold, and Charlotte prayed that its many laser turret banks were still online.

Charlotte's proximity alert beeped and five red dots appeared on the bottom of her screen, rapidly closing in on her location. _It's the Banshees, _Charlotte knew. As the other hellions raced on ahead, Charlotte wove her way across the terrain, her finger hovering over a certain button on her dashboard. _This new hellion has decoys built into it, but with this many enemies I'll only escape one volley. Better make it count!_

The proximity system started beeping frantically as the Banshees launched another volley of air-to-ground missiles, and Charlotte kept her foot depressed on the gas pedal as the alert grew even more rapid. Then, when she could stand it no longer, Charlotte rammed her finger onto the button and several thermal flares popped out of her hellion like fireworks. She breathed in relief as the Banshees' missiles took the bait, chasing down the flares like hungry sharks and exploding against them. Muttering a quick prayer, Charlotte whipped her hellion around and beheld the Banshees zooming past overhead, their missile pods busy cycling in the next missile set. Snapping her crosshairs onto the lead Banshee, Charlotte smiled as her systems achieved missile lock and she fired four short-range missiles.

The lead Banshee banked to the side to evade the missiles, but it was too late: the four guided missiles caught the Banshee on its right propeller pod, detonating and blasting smoking chunks of armor and propeller blades everywhere. At once, the lead Banshee sagged in the sky, fire and sparks bleeding from the hull where the propeller pod had been blown off. The other four Banshees rose high in the sky and well out of attack range, but the maimed Banshee spiraled toward the ground, its remaining propeller pod trying and failing to keep the craft aloft. Clenching her teeth, Charlotte rocketed toward the wounded Banshee and fired up her autocannon turret. The ballistic shells ripped into the Banshee's hull, tearing through the armor and maiming the inner systems. Overwhelmed, the Banshee toppled and smashed into a rocky hilltop, splitting into pieces that tumbled down the hill.

"Whew!" Charlotte breathed out loud, her heart hammering in her chest. She resisted the urge to chase the other Banshees and instead tried to catch up with the other hellions, eager to get back to friendly lines.

The friendly lines had become a battlefront.

"There you are!" Miranda's voice spoke in Charlotte's comm. "Great job with that Banshee, kid, but there's a war on. Keep on your toes."

"Where are you?" Charlotte asked. _Can she see me in all this chaos? _The area around the _Fenris _had become a battleground as Dominion forces poured into the vicinity, hammering away at the Hellhounds defenders.

"I'm up above!" Miranda called back. Charlotte risked a glance and peeked up through her hellion's canopy. Countless aircraft dueled one another in the sky, with Vikings, Wraiths, Banshees, and a few Ravens all trading fire with each other and taking pot shots at ground targets. Charlotte quickly figured it out. _Miranda's up there in her Viking, but that's risky. She must have a personal guard with her! _She brightened. _If Miranda and her guard are indeed up there fighting, then the air battle is already won. _Just as she thought that, Charlotte saw a particular Viking perform a tight corkscrew to avoid another Viking's shots, and then it struck a Dominion Viking in its blind spot and blasted it to pieces that rained down to the earth.

Snapping her attention away from the fierce air battle overhead, Charlotte focused her attention instead on the Dominion tanks, Goliaths, and infantry that circled the _Fenris_. Pressing her foot down hard on the gas pedal, Charlotte raced across the dusty earth of Van Osten's Moon, searching for friendly territory to slip back into. She did not like the thought of driving straight into a mass of unfriendly targets.

Platoons of Miranda's infantry rushed out of the _Fenris _and took cover behind boulders and in ditches, marines and Marauders throwing fire at the invading Dominion forces. The barrels of Gauss rifles flashed and the explosions of Marauder grenades rattled the earth, and then a squad of Reapers flitted out of the _Fenris _and bore down on a Dominion tank cluster. Evading the tanks' fire with their nitro jetpacks, the Reapers kicked off the ground and soared into the air, hurling mines that peppered the tanks with fierce explosions. Chunks of tank armor, turrets, and treads were scattered by the fireballs, leaving behind the ruins of at least four tanks. The remaining tanks pulled back and let Dominion infantry rush forth, chasing away the Reapers.

The _Fenris_' defenses were still coming, because not all of Miranda's Hellhounds could be marshaled at once. Clusters of Miranda's troops emerged from the downed battlecruiser but they were hard-pressed to resist the numerically superior Dominion forces.

Charlotte found an opening in the battle and evaded enemy fire while she thought out a viable plan of attack. _Should I take out key targets, or harass Dominion forces in general to ease the pressure off friendly assets? _The Dominion forces seemed to decide for her: a Goliath's autocannon guns gunned down a trio of Hellhounds marines, then the biped war machine turned and tracked its fire after Charlotte's speeding hellion. Heart suddenly hammering, Charlotte arced a wide curve across the battlefield and then suddenly turned the other way, throwing off the Goliath's aim. Charlotte sped back toward the Goliath, sliding her crosshairs onto the biped. She got a lock and pressed the fire buttons, sending four missiles streaking out of her hellion and toward the Goliath. The Goliath staggered back as the missiles blasted off layers of its torso armor, exposing its fragile inner machinery.

The Goliath wobbled from the kinetic force, but the pilot hung on tight and swung its arm-mounted autocannons back toward Charlotte. The autocannons rattled as they spat out a stream of shells, and a few shells slashed against the hull of Charlotte's hellion, flaking off shards of armor and throwing off Charlotte's aim. _Damn it! _Charlotte cursed as she fought the controls to keep her hellion on course. If she took another hit like that, she was a goner. The Goliath fired again, but its bullets went wide as Miranda slipped past a boulder for cover. Then she roved past a friendly siege tank and placed her crosshair on the Goliath once again, this time pressing a different button. Her hellion recoiled as her own autocannon turret fired up, peppering the Goliath with five heavy shells. However, the Goliath still didn't go down.

Before either Charlotte or the Goliath fired again, a trio of Dominion Banshees screamed past overhead, riddling the ground with their air-to-ground missiles. The missiles blasted apart the Hellhounds tank and two Hellhounds Marauders, but Charlotte slipped past the missile barrage and avoided any further harm. She stole a glance at the passing Banshees and received a shock: rather than the Dominion logo, there was the red-and-black logo of a wolf head painted on the Banshees' hulls. Charlotte's gut clenched. _Xavier's men are here with the Dominion! Just how does everyone keep finding us? _She keyed in to Miranda's comm channel. "Boss, can you confirm any of Xavier's Hellhounds here with the Dominion forces?" Meanwhile, the Goliath stomped around on the battlefield, trying to find Charlotte's hellion.

In response, one of the friendly Vikings roared through the air and unloaded a volley of Lanzer torpedoes on an unfriendly Hellhounds Banshee, shearing the Banshee into two flaming hunks that crashed to the ground. "Well, now there's one less!" Miranda's voice quipped. "But yes, at least half of the enemy targets are Xavier's. In fact, Xavier Daniels sent me a message demanding my surrender. Guess what my response was?"

"Do you know how they could have found us?" Charlotte blurted. The Goliath spotted her and stomped over, raising its autocannon-laden arms.

"I don't know for sure," Miranda said bitterly. "But I suspect that we have a double agent amongst us. I assigned Marie to check it out. With her telepathic powers, she should root out the traitors soon enough."

Charlotte didn't have time to respond; the Goliath raked the ground around her hellion with its autocannons, forcing Charlotte to move again. She twisted her turret around and fired it, but the shells missed the Goliath and sizzled through empty air. Then, the Goliath fired yet again, and this time one of its shells busted Charlotte's front left wheel, shredding the rubber tire. Charlotte hung on as her hellion started to shudder and swerve as she drove, painfully aware that she made an easy target. Unwilling to go down, Charlotte swerved around as best she could, sacrificing maneuverability for firepower as the marauding Goliath stomped closer for the kill. Once again Charlotte launched her short-range missiles, and two missiles went wide while the other two exploded against the Goliath's exposed inner systems. Unable to operate any longer, the Goliath swayed on the spot and collapsed, crumpling in a confused metal heap. Flames erupted all over its ruined frame.

A sudden blast buffeted Charlotte's hellion, and she cried out as a second blast erupted even closer. According to her radar, a Dominion siege tank was coming closer and firing pot shots at her, its cannon getting more accurate with every shot. Charlotte got her hellion moving, but with her damaged wheel her vehicle made slow, awkward progress. She prayed that the next shot wouldn't connect.

Then, a friendly siege rank broke away from the Hellhounds ranks and triggered its own turret. The explosive shells slammed into the Dominion tank's left flank like a bull, nearly tipping it over. The Dominion tank recovered and fired in retaliation, its own shot ripping armor from the front armor of the friendly tank. Brushing off the damage, the friendly tank launched another shot and Charlotte added her own missile flight to the salvo. The Dominion tank vanished in a raging fireball that sent shards of neo-steel armor flying everywhere.

"Thanks for the assist," Charlotte said warmly to the tank pilot's comm.

Nick's voice crackled back. "Anytime, Charlotte. Are you holding up okay?" He sounded strained, more so than the battle should cause.

"Yeah, pretty much," Charlotte offered, although she was running out of missiles and her hellion was missing armor and had a damaged wheel.

"Don't worry, I'll cover your back however much I can," Nick proclaimed as a pair of enemy Hellhounds Marauders snuck up on his tank. After Charlotte chipped the ground before the Marauders with warning shots from her autocannon, the two Marauders scrambled away.

"And I'll cover your back however much _I _can!" Charlotte laughed despite the battle around her. "Come on, let's – Nick!"

For Nick suddenly filled the comm with agonized screaming, his tank going stock-still. "M-my head!" Nick grated. "Feels like it's on fire... aaaaargh!"

"Is it one of your migraines again?" Charlotte asked, scooting a little closer to Nick's tank.

"It's... different this time," Nick groaned. "Like my head is... expanding like a balloon!"

Around Nick's tank erupted an aura of what appeared to be lightning, blue crackles of energy that lashed into the air like the tentacles of some angry creature. More and more energy glowed from the tank, rising in a swelling maelstrom that raged around the tank like a miniature hurricane. Charlotte quickly put her hellion in reverse and backed away, stunned. _Is that psionic energy? It can't be! Nick's not only a telepath, but a strong one!_

The combined Dominion and enemy Hellhounds forces ignored Nick's psionic tank as they pressed the defending Hellhounds back to the hull of the _Fenris_, trapping them against superior numbers and firepower. Many of Miranda's air assets had been shot down, salvageable but useless in the battle. In the comm crackled a hard, authoritative voice: "This is Colonel Falcon of the Dominion! Surrender now, Hellhounds, for you have lost. You're fighting for the Dominion now, just as Xavier Daniels wishes it. You all have run free long enough."

_Not again! _Charlotte cursed as she fell back with the other Hellhounds. Nick's tank still did not move. _Xavier's Hellhounds are too good. We can't get away from him, and there's no Zerg around to interfere this time. What will Miranda do? She's smart and tough, but not even that will get us out of this. And what will happen to Nick? Someone has to help him! _She realized with mingled dread and relief that the Dominion had programs to harness and tame powers like Nick's. He could be saved... but he would also become a slave of Mengsk, a psionic vassal.

Then a cluster of new contacts appeared on the fringes of Charlotte's radar.

Blue streaks of energy filled the air as a squad of unidentified craft soared over a mountain range, and the blue bolts seared into the Dominion Vikings and melted them into pieces. Confused and disoriented, the Dominion air forces scrambled to face the threat. Charlotte gaped at the sight: the newcomers were not Vikings or Wraiths, not even human at all. Rather, they had sleek and bird-like gold fuselages and pointed, graceful wings and tail fins. More blue bolts seared out of the crafts' guns, downing another pair of Dominion Vikings. The Vikings fired back, filling the air with their Lanzer torpedoes. One of the new craft succumbed to the torpedoes in a blue-tinged explosion, but the rest nimbly evaded the torpedoes and flew in circles around the frustrated Vikings.

Then, a small fleet of new aircraft arrived, bulkier and slower than the first wave. These craft had bulky pod-like bodies with translucent, crystalline wings folded on their hulls and they hovered along without any visible propulsion systems. The crafts' bodies were the same gold color as the air fighters from before, and soft blue lights glowed on these bulky crafts' hulls.

"Who are you? Identify yourselves!" Miranda demanded on the comm.

A strange voice answered: "This is Lersar Volra, captain of Phoenix Flight Gamma." All of the sleek, strange aircraft slowed down a little but still evaded the Dominion Vikings' fire. "My brethren and I are here to render assistance."

"What..." Miranda croaked, but she didn't need to hear any more explanation to understand. The pod-craft lowered themselves to the ground and opened deployment hatches, admitting a number of Protoss warriors onto the ground, one by one.

Charlotte assumed that Xavier Daniels ordered his men to shoot the Protoss at last, because all of the enemy Hellhounds turned their backs to Miranda's Hellhounds and threw all their fire at the Protoss. However, all the bullets and rockets from the Hellhounds' fire bounced off shimmering blue shields around the Protoss warriors, and the Protoss marched across the rocky ground and returned fire. Overhead, the Phoenixes shot down the last of the enemy air presence and swooped down low over the Dominion and enemy Hellhounds ranks. To Charlotte's amazement, wide blue shafts of light glowed from the Phoenixes' bodies and lit up the Dominion siege tanks, and then the siege tanks glided up into the air as though lifted by an invisible hand. The tanks spun their turrets around in circles and fired wildly, but from up here they could not hit anything.

_Are those anti-gravity beams? _Charlotte gawked, but the Protoss' tricks weren't used up yet. Dozens of quadruped Protoss walking machines vanished in flashes of purple light, avoiding Hellhound and Dominion fire. Then, the quadrupeds re-appeared right in front of the Dominion forces, raking them with beams of corrosive blue energy. Dominion infantry and tanks melted under the onslaught, forcing them to fall back. The Dominion forces fired back, but the quadrupeds' shields absorbed the damage and the four-legged machines kept firing.

"Good! Stalkers, keep them busy to let the zealots have a clear approach," commanded a new Protoss voice. Some of the stalkers' shields faltered under the heavy assault of the Dominion forces, and a few stalkers shattered from siege tank shots and Marauder grenades. The rest, however, continued to carve a bloody swath through the Dominion forces as a large cluster of Protoss foot soldiers raced across the field from the transport craft and to the front line. The zealots pounced once they got close, their wrist-mounted psionic blades slicing through Dominion and enemy Hellhound ranks with impunity.

"Help them!" Miranda ordered. At her word, the Hellhounds re-opened fire, hammering at the Dominions' exposed backs. The combined fire of Miranda's Hellhounds and the Protoss quickly shredded the remains of the combined Dominion and enemy Hellhounds ranks, and the transports glided closer to deploy a few last warriors. Now a handful of gigantic quadrupeds emerged and joined the battle. They walked on four legs like the stalkers, but these machines had squatter, bulkier bodies. They had thick-barreled turrets on their wide shoulders that spat out bolts of dark blue energy that obliterated their targets with frightening power. The larger quadrupeds easily demolished their siege tanks and Goliath targets, taking almost no damage in return. Even the heavy fire from the siege tanks barely made a scratch on the thick shields surrounding the bulky quadrupeds.

Within minutes, only the Protoss and Miranda's Hellhounds remained on the field and an unsettling silence fell over the field like a cloak. That silence was broken when the second Protoss voice spoke not in the comm channels, but directly into everyone's minds. "Terrans, I am Azaru of the Protoss. We do not have to become enemies. We just might share a cause... if you prove worthy to consider yourselves friends to the Protoss."

"You don't say," Miranda commented. "So, what do you have in mind?"


	14. Chapter 13

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 13**

**Fenris _crash site, Van Osten's Moon,_**

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 23, 2504**_

Charlotte was still trying to wrap her mind around what the Protoss voice in her mind was saying to the Hellhounds: _"We just might share a cause... if you prove worthy to consider yourselves friends to the Protoss." _Unsure what to expect, Charlotte put her hellion into park mode and clenched the steering wheel tight, watching Miranda land her Viking in walk mode onto Van Osten's Moon's cold rocky surface. The Viking settled into place and lowered its twin Gatling guns, but Miranda's voice carried out on the comm with clarity: "Well, Azaru? What are you planning? I'm listening."

When Azaru's echoing psychic voice answered, he spoke slowly as though still considering his words. "The Protoss may seem lofty and dangerous to you Terrans, but you must understand. What I have seen of your kind, in general, is not encouraging. I have seen violence, hatred, and betrayal run rampant, and this is exemplified by the actions of your Arcturus Mengsk and worse, the Queen of Blades, Sarah Kerrigan. Tassadar was once my superior, and he told me of these things as a warning for the future. Now, that warning comes true: in the face of such danger and uncertainty, the Protoss have shrunk back to defend ourselves from the Zerg menace and avoid heavy involvement with the Terrans."

"And I assume," Miranda's voice crackled back, "that my Hellhounds and I just might be an exception? I don't think you'd come all this way just to distrust me and run away."

Azaru's reply carried inhuman vehemence. "The Protoss to not run and we did not stumble upon you! You arrived on this world by accident. I witnessed the emergency crash-landing of your vessel, and your arrival disrupted the current state of affairs here. My men and I sought answers here when the Dominion ambushed us, and your arrival diverted the Dominion forces to your location."

"All right, all right!" Miranda yelped, then steadied her voice. "Listen, Azaru, I did not intend any harm to you or your operations here. Nor did I mean to imply that you needed my assistance."

"I would like to believe that, but this is not an age of easy trust," Azaru told her, his voice cooler now. "What I have seen and heard of your Hellhounds force is this: you are an army of mercenaries divided between differing ideas of loyalty. The warriors led by Xavier Daniels believe in fighting for wealth and prestige, while you, Miranda, strive to defend your home land against any and all threats at the expense of the wealth and prestige that Xavier Daniels desires."

"And your opinion?"

Azaru took a second to reply. "I value a warrior who prefers honor to excessive wealth. The Protoss know the value of defending one's home from external threats."

"Aiur," Miranda commented.

"Yes," Azaru's grim voice responded. "And the same could happen to any Terran capital world, Umoja included. We have something in common, and I am tempted to form a covenant between my task force and your Hellhounds warriors against mutual threats."

"What's stopping you?" Miranda pressed him.

"Kerrigan," Azaru explained bitterly. "She stood as a paragon of freedom, fighting to overthrow the corrupt Terran Confederacy. And now, she is the biggest threat we have ever faced! From the start, us Protoss have seen ought but betrayal and death from Terrans, and I have little reason to doubt that the future holds more. Human psionics pose a grave threat that the Protoss can ill afford to ignore, as well as Terran leaders."

Charlotte was sure that Miranda weighed her words heavily before replying. "I hear what you say, Azaru, and I have no choice but to admit that you are mostly correct. Mostly."

"Mostly?" Azaru repeated.

To Charlotte's surprise, the hatch of Miranda's Viking popped open and the boarding ladder descended to the ground. From her cockpit climbed Miranda, still clad in her helmet and flight suit. She strode across the rocky, purple-gray ground toward the waiting Protoss. "Mostly," she said in her helmet's comm. "But what if you use that psionic mind of yours to double-check? I approach you unarmed on behalf of all the Hellhounds I command. What do you make of that?"

Charlotte gawked. _She's taking a big risk! The Protoss might think it's a trick to make them lower their guard. But... if the Protoss to read her mind, will that convince them? _She glanced at Nick's tank, which still seethed from wild psionic energy. _If anyone needs the Protoss treatment, it's poor Nick. He needs help!_

"Bold, Terran," Azaru commented, sounding slightly impressed. "You would wish to meet me in person? Alone, un-augmented by weapons of war?"

"I can't meet a stranger with a gun in my hand. Metaphorically speaking," Miranda said firmly. "No tricks, no threats. Meet me and find out if you like what you see."

The Protoss forces shrank back slightly, the Stalkers and zealots alike forming a tight wall of defense against the unarmed Terran woman approaching them. Then, one of the transport craft glided slowly forward and lowered itself, a single armored Protoss materializing on the ground in a shaft of psionic energy. The Protoss, although barely taller than Miranda, confidently approached Miranda and spread his hands wide. "I carry no arms, Terran."

"So we are equal," Miranda told him.

"And you are not a psionic?" Azaru demanded.

Miranda shook her head. "No, but I have an agent named Marie who is, and another warrior named Nick who is suffering from a manifestation of his own psionics. He is in that afflicted tank. He needs your help containing his new power."

Azaru motioned with one three-fingered hand, and a quartet of zealots hurried over to the tank and spread their arms wide, forming a ring around the tank. At once, a dark blue bubble of shimmering psionic power enveloped the tank, shrinking inward and suppressing Nick's wild psionics. Meanwhile, Azaru slowly and carefully reached one hand toward Miranda's head. "You must know that this process has been known to destroy lesser minds."

Miranda squared her shoulders. "Thankfully, I don't have that kind of mind."

Wordlessly, Azaru clasped Miranda's head in his hand and light purple energy seeped from his fingers, and the Protoss leader tilted his head back as his eyes flared bright. Charlotte watched in apprehension as both Azaru and Miranda stood locked in place, her heart hammering in her chest. Then, Azaru's eyes dimmed and he lowered his hand and took a step back, running his hands through his long braids. Then he folded his arms. "The Terran known as Kerrigan was motivated by vengeance, by fear, and by desperation. As the Queen of Blades, she is driven again by vengeance and a fearsome lust for power."

"And me?" Miranda asked tensely.

"You... I find courage and an iron will driving you to defend Umoja and keep your men faithful to you," Azaru told her. "But I also see fear, the fear of the Zerg and Xavier Daniels descending to destroy all you hold dear." He paused. "But most importantly, I do not find a lust of power or glory that drives many others, nor do I sense the genocidal rage that drives Kerrigan nor the traitorous cunning of Arcturus Mengsk. I have probed every corner of your mind and I know this to be true. Perhaps indeed, we can find a common cause."

Charlotte tried to force back a smile. _Miranda passed!_

"But," Azaru added, "I have seen too may good men and women fall to the power of temptation and I know that temptation is an eternal force."

"Are you suggesting that we not ally after all?" Miranda asked.

"I propose that you prove what loyalty is," Azaru responded. "if you are to aid my cause, perhaps I can aid yours."

"Favor for a favor."

"An appropriate Terran term I have come across. I seek redemption in the eyes of my superiors, and I am tracking an artifact of incredible value. It is one of several."

"The Xel'Naga artifacts," Miranda added.

Azaru nodded. "A three-way race for them has begun. Arcturus Mengsk is unearthing them and Kerrigan is hunting them with her ruthless Swarm. They belong only in the hands of the Protoss, and if you can lend me your assistance to claim the one I am seeking, you will have my favor. I will help you vanquish the other Hellhounds and preserve Umoja for as long as the hostile Hellhounds threaten you."

"I swear to conceive no treachery," Miranda told Azaru. "After all, I have no use for the Xel'Naga artifacts and I would rather die than see Mengsk have any more. You know I'm telling the truth, aren't you? After you read my mind?"

"Very well," Azaru declared. "I declare you, Miranda, a friend of the Protoss. Now, we have much work to be done."

"Great," Miranda beamed. "And can you help get my ship into orbit? It's in bad shape, you know..."  
>"I will do what I can."<p>

*o*o*o*o*

Hidden in her private chambers on board the _Fenris_, Marie sighed with relief as she opened her eyes, sweat beading her forehead. The psionic link she had established into Miranda's mind remained undetected by the Protoss Azaru, and now Marie knew everything.

_Everything, _she thought with satisfaction, a smile spreading across her normally passive face. _Daniels will want to know this! As soon as Miranda's Hellhounds go with the Protoss to find an artifact, she'll find a whole lot of Dominion company waiting for her._


	15. Chapter 14

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**A/N: **I have now lifted the hiatus on this story and will update regularly. I've also gone back and made a few changes in this story to make it flow better, mostly regarding the side-plot of Trevor. I entirely removed the Angels' Fury Group since it only played a peripheral role in this fic, and I have changed chapters 10 and 13 to reflect that. The first scene of chapter 10 now shows Trevor being turned into a cyborg in an official Umojan medical facility, and the first scene of chapter 13 on the planet Helya has been removed entirely. Thank you, everyone, for your patience!

**Chapter 14**

**_Crew lounge, battlecruiser _Fenris_,_**

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 28, 2504**_

"So... we've really got the Protoss on board," commented Marcus Riley, a marine captain of the Hellhounds. Along with many of his fellow mercenaries, he relaxed in the softly-lit crew lounge of the _Fenris_, curiously watching the half-dozen Protoss who took up the other half of the room. The bartender tried to distract himself by wiping all of his glasses and mugs clean, but he couldn't help but shoot the Protoss amazed looks. No one thought the Protoss would ever set foot on this ship, and as she folded her arms and leaned against a wall, Charlotte smiled to herself. _This should be fun, _she thought.

The tallest Protoss, a zealot with red tribal markings on his mouthless face, nodded. "Azaru requested a small party on board your vessel to better facilitate trust and camaraderie between our races." His mental voice sounded slightly resentful but still completely disciplined.

"Yeah, too bad you can't hit up the bar," Marcus joked, motioning toward the rows of drinks and glasses. "Or else we'd treat you guys all night!"

The zealot narrowed his glowing eyes slightly. "We do not require your patronizing hospitality. We only need to be among you long enough to be sure that Azaru's and Miranda's joint operation has a chance of success. Trust is paramount, particularly in this era of betrayal and deception."

Charlotte winced at the zealot's increased bitterness, as if his thoughts were a noxious cloud washing over her face. "Don't worry. Miranda is a woman of her word and knows better than to turn against her friends. This is going to work out just fine."

The zealot turned his eyes on Charlotte, and the Terran woman winced. "You must forgive me, but the memory of Raszagal and Sarah Kerrigan still linger fresh in Protoss minds."

"You go too far, Herendar," another zealot implored to his friend. He had a few dark blue markings on his chin and especially bright eyes. "Do you not trust Azaru's judgment on this matter?"

Herendar turned on his friend. "No, Lesgar, but you know the dangers of blind devotion."

The zealot named Lesgar stood tall, clapping a four-fingered hand to Herendar's shoulder. "These Terrans don't even have any relation to Kerrigan! They hail from a different world."

Charlotte spoke up, "Is this the prejudice against Terran women I've heard about?"

Herendar nodded, taking a step forward. The Hellhounds shrank back as the towering zealot advanced. "The horrors of Sarah Kerrigan's wrath still exist today. Aiur is in ruins and the Zerg once again terrorize known space."

"Suddenly I really wish you guys could have a drink," Marcus joked feebly.

Herendar radiated disgust and turned his back on the assembly, stalking out a sliding door into the _Fenris_' hallways toward one of the guest chambers. Lesgar winced slightly, then took the forefront. "Hope still endures, Terrans," he offered. "Your commander Miranda has already proven to us that loyalty to your home and friends means more to her than the promise of riches and great power. She has proven that to Azaru, and that is enough for me." The other four zealots nodded in agreement.

Charlotte motioned with a hand. "But your friend Herendar thinks differently?"

Regret seeped from Lesgar's mind. "He lost his entire family during the Zerg invasion of Char, and then lost his closest friend to Ulrezaj and his Xava'kai followers some time later."

Charlotte blinked at the unfamiliar words. "I... what?"

The Protoss were still for a moment and Charlotte guessed that they were exchanging mental thoughts, or even arguing. After a short time, Lesgar spoke up again. "There is no harm in relating the details," he told everyone. "Ulrezaj was a Dark Archon of unprecedented power. He often sacrificed his followers to achieve his aims, and Herendar's closest friend was a follower of Ulrezaj who lost his life this way."

Jack McCarthy, a brawny marauder, looked up from his drink. "How powerful is this thing?"

Mingled awe and disgust radiated from Lesgar. "A typical Dark Archon is the fusion of two Dark Templar, an equivalent to Archons," he explained. "But Ulrezaj... this abomination was the result of _seven _Dark Templar fusing themselves into one."

Charlotte sputtered, "Is that even possible?" She tried not to think of what a seven-fold Dark Archon could do against the Hellhounds. _We'd be bugs fighting an inferno!_

Lesgar motioned with his hands. "It was unprecedented," he commented, "but as I tried to tell Herendar before, _there is hope_. Ulrezaj has been confronted at least twice, and if he was not destroyed, he is very weak and not a threat that I know of. But I am a lowly zealot. I may be wrong and do not know all the details of this."

Marcus made a nervous laugh. "So, we shouldn't expect any super-duper-Dark Archons on the battlefields, then?"

One of the other zealots' eyes flared with irritation. "Do not mock the dangers, Terran!" he warned.

"Ease yourself," Lesgar implored the other zealot. "But no, I do not expect Ulrezaj or even the Tal'Darim to oppose us anytime soon. Our mission takes us to Terran space, where your Dominion or the Zerg may confront us instead. We must be ready for that. I have faith in both Azaru and Miranda to see us through this."

Something occurred to Charlotte. "You said that there is still hope. What did you mean by that?" she asked.

Fondness emanated from Lesgar's powerful, alien mind. "Terran-kind proved itself a potential, and valuable, ally against the Zerg and Ulrezaj in recent times. Do you know how Ulrezaj was defeated?"

"Just tell us, man," Jack encouraged him.

Ignoring the casual speech, Lesgar added, "It was the assistance of the Terrans Jacob Ramsey and Rosemary Dahl that saw us through the nightmare of Ulrezaj."

Charlotte reeled. "I've heard of that guy before. Jacob Ramsey, an archeologist..."

"He carried the mind of one of the few remaining preservers, a woman named Zamara," Lesgar told her. "Put concisely, Ramsey did his utmost to ensure that Zamara was escorted through various dangers until she found a way to remove the threat of Ulrezaj. Some details are unclear to me, but I know this much. What's more, Ramsey had a friend, the Terran woman named Rosemary Dahl. Her combat ability and mastery of both Protoss and Terran machinery ensured the survival of Ramsey and Zamara. She even helped get the Aiur warp gate back online to allow Ramsey to escape Ulrezaj and a Zerg swarm. Both Ramsey and Dahl are heroes to our people."

_Lesgar was right. This does bode well, _Charlotte thought excitedly. "So, this has convinced Azaru that a joint operation is worth a try?"

"I for one," Lesgar said proudly, "say that trust is never an outdated concept. Others may disagree with me, and may be right to do so, but I am adamant in this. More importantly for you, Azaru feels much the same."

It occurred to Charlotte that her home world Umoja still maintained a strong interest in creating a Terran-Protoss alliance, and she couldn't help but wonder if Azaru and his men would be the first step toward such a thing. _It's a long shot, _she thought, _but a shot worth trying for._

*o*o*o*o*

_**Med bay, battlecruiser **_**Fenris****_,_**

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 28, 2504**_

Charlotte hung back in a corner as two medics escorted her friend Nick onto an examination table, wondering what exactly would happen. Nick lay still across the table, his breathing heavy and eyes focused as the medics attached wires and pads to his body to track his vitals. "I'm ready," he panted. "Just hurry."

At the request, one Protoss walked into the well-lit room, his soft robes and Khaydarin helmet clearly marking him as a psionic warrior, a High Templar under Azaru's command. The towering alien stood over Nick, placing his four-fingered hands on the Terran's temples and closing his glowing eyes. "This man has potent psionic potential," the Templar said at length. "Not as powerful as other Terrans I have heard of such as Kerrigan, but this man may very well destroy himself and those around him unless his inner powers can be tamed."

"You _can _help him, right?" Charlotte couldn't help but ask. She had seen Nick writhing in agony from his burgeoning psionic powers, and only a few minutes ago did the pain subside enough to allow this operation.

"Of course," the Templar answered, not moving an inch. "I must ask you all to stand back. At once."

Her stomach feeling cold, Charlotte pressed herself against the corner next to a cabinet of supplies, her eyes never leaving her friend. _Nick, please be okay._

When the two medics put themselves a safe distance away, the Templar's hands began to glow with a soft blue light that washed over Nick's head like water. A strange hum filled the air and Charlotte's hair stood on end, her skin tingling. _I can feel the power even from over here, _Charlotte noticed. _Just how much power does – ouch!_

For the Templar suddenly released a pulse of psionic power that filled every corner of the room, and Nick convulsed once as the tingling aura in the air intensified. Bolts of light blue energy lanced from Nick's body, twisting like snakes in the air as his heart rate monitor sped up, beeping like crazy. The Templar dipped his head lower, spreading his own psionic aura over Nick's body to suppress the bolts. As Charlotte watched, Nick's psionic bolts receded and shrank back into his body, cowed by the Templar's controlling aura. Nick's body began to lie still, his heart rate and blood pressure lowering back to normal.

Then the Templar snapped open his eyes and jerked back as another blast of psionics rocked Nick's body, throwing the Templar's hands off. Nick's face twisted in agony as erratic pulses of power tore free from his body, stray bolts of power striking nearby objects. A medical cabinet's glass shattered into pieces from a bolt piercing it, sending bottles of medicine crashing to the tiled floor. Another stream of Nick's power shoved aside a trolly of supplies, sending the metal cart toppling to its side with a loud clang.

"Do something!" Charlotte wailed over the din, hands clenched tightly.

"I am!" the Templar boomed back, actually rolling back his sleeves as he fought his way past the writhing psionic bolts. The Templar raised his hands high, this time focusing whirlpools of dark purple power on his fingers and palms. With one deft movement, the Templar clapped his hands onto Nick's stomach and pressed, releasing a flood of purple psionics that rippled across Nick's body. Nick's light blue power sputtered and sparked against the Templar's heavy power, causing a blinding light show of blue and purple. The heart monitor beeped rapidly, the medics staring in horror as the monitor began to show troubling numbers.

"At this rate, the process will kill him!" one medic shouted over the noise.

"No!" Charlotte held out an arm to bar the medics, her eyes fixed on her tormented friend. "He's already started. He can make it! Besides, he needs this."

"But..." the other medic tried to protest as Nick's heart rate dropped to 0, but the Templar ignored the vital signs and kept up the psionic pressure. Sweat coated Nick's body as he fell unconscious while his psionic powers sputtered and started to die down as the Templar asserted his mastery of psionic power. The heart monitor kept up a steady tone to indicate Nick's flat vital signs, but the Templar still ignored it, instead weaving strange, complex hand motions over Nick's body, weaving a web of intricate mental power. The last of Nick's psionics died down, the Templar's purple power soaking into his body and fading from view.

The High Templar stood back, pulling his sleeve back down and readjusting his Khaydarin helmet. "It is done," he announced calmly. "His powers have been tamed and forced under his control. Never again will his burgeoning power dominate his body or mind."

"His vitals are bad," the medics stated, hurrying over and bringing over a crash cart. "You may have saved his psionics, Protoss, but if we don't do something now he'll be dead anyway. Get out of here. You too, Charlotte." They pressed shock paddles to Nick's body, causing him to jump slightly off the exam table. Still, he lay still and silent, his eyes closed and mouth slightly open. His face began to turn blue.

Charlotte fought back a lump in her throat. "Save him!"

"We're trying!" a medic shouted over his shoulder. "Now go!"

Charlotte nodded tightly. "Y-yeah. I will." She hurried out of the med bay and down the hall, the High Templar exiting a few seconds later.

"I have faith that he will endure," the Protoss said. "He is a hardy one."

"Yeah, I hope so."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Training facility, Umojan Cyborg Institute, Umoja,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**December 30, 2504**_

The good news was, Trevor finally learned where he was and determined that he was in good hands. The facility was a completely legal and well-sanctioned branch of Minister Jorgensen's technology division, and he was one of at least two dozen Reapers, marines, and marauders who were undergoing cyborg treatment.

The bad news was, he was getting his ass kicked.

"Damn you, tin cans," Trevor cursed as another trio of robotic training drones popped out of the huge training room's floor, their red eyes fixed on him and their dummy machine guns taking aim. Already, countless explosions and rubber bullets flew every which way, and Trevor had barely rolled over a wall just in time to avoid getting torn apart by other training drones. He still hadn't gotten to his feet by the time these new drones popped up, and his allies were already preoccupied with foes of their own. Near the ceiling, the cyborg project's leader, Dr. Julie Hanson, watched the training battle in her office through a wide window.

Rubber bullets filled the air and Trevor rolled to avoid them, letting the rounds pepper the back wall. Trevor sprang to his feet, whipping his Scythe pistols up and placing his sights on the nearest drone as it marched toward him. His machine arms flinched from the recoil as heavy bullets tore into the drone, hammering its thin Neo-steel armor plating. Sparks and smoke burst from the drone as it jerked back from the bullets' momentum, its gun barrel aimed away from Trevor. However, the other two drones opened fire, forcing Trevor to roll and take cover behind a low wall.

Trevor held on to his pistols tightly as rubber bullets pinged off the wall's other side. _I'll come out the other side to throw them off, _he decided, _and take one out and get away before the other gets a bead on me. _He scooted to the wall's other side to carry out his plan, but before he could come out, two more drones lumbered onto his left flank, hurling grenades at him. With a mental command to his robotic body, Trevor activated his Nitro pack jump jets, the streams of fire lifting him into the air. However, he wobbled and drifted at an odd angle, exposing him to enemy fire.

_Still not used to this body! _Trevor cursed. He cut the jets and landed awkwardly onto a sloping section of the floor, tumbling in a heap to the bottom. The drones surrounded him, raising their guns.

"Hold on!" a marauder boomed, his mechanical body lurching slowly onto the scene. He raised an arm and released one Punisher grenade, the explosive blasting a training drone into smoking pieces, giving the other drones pause.

"Nice one," Trevor bit out quickly, struggling to his feet. Another drone arrived to his right, raising its gun to fire. Trevor raised his pistol and fired three times, the powerful bullets punching holes into the drone's head. The robotic humanoid stumbled back, its microchip brain blasted into shards. It fell flat onto its back, dropping its rifle.

Trevor slipped to the side as other drones opened fire, then he raised his pistols to fire. However, the drones tossed a volley of grenades and the explosions rocked Trevor, throwing him face-first onto the floor. The marauder whirled around to fire on a drone behind him, but a volley of rubber bullets hammered him from behind, striking between his armor plates. With a numbed cry, the marauder also fell face-first, squirming in his heavy mechanical body.

"Not yet! I'm not done yet!" Trevor barked defiantly, shoving his hands on the floor to hoist himself back up. He quickly raised his pistols to open fire, but by the time he got to his knees, four drones surrounded him and trained their guns on him. He dropped his pistols in surrender, gnashing his teeth. "Do it, then!" he raged. "You've got me, so finish it!"

Instead of firing, however, the drones backed up as a single tone from the ceiling comm sounded. The voice of Dr. Julie Hanson spoke on the comm. "You're the last one standing, Trevor," she announced. Indeed, the training arena had fallen silent. "But you still have not cleared this training wave. Keep in mind, everyone, the Dominion, Xavier's Hellhounds, and especially the Zerg will not roll over and die for you. You have to become the best... or you'll become casualties all over again. Do you want that?"

"No, ma'am!" Trevor shouted with the rest of his fellow cyborgs, climbing to his feet. He holstered his Scythe pistols. "Just give me another chance."

"And you will have that chance, all of you," Hanson replied. "Get back to positions, and get it done this time. The future of the Umojan Protectorate rests on all its warriors in times like these. Don't let me down."


	16. Chapter 15

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**A/N: **We now enter the year 2505. This story is pretty much AU, depicting the Wings of Liberty campaign as taking many months to carry out rather than weeks. This story will continue with the slowed-down time scale, but the conclusion will be consistent with Wings of Liberty's ending. All this will simply happen during a later date in the StarCraft chronology.

**Chapter 15**

_**Upper Atmosphere, Dead Man's Rock,**_

_**January 6, 2505**_

"Are you sure, ma'am, that you need to bring me along for this?" Charlotte asked in the passenger hold of a dropship. The vehicle jostled its passengers as it shot through Dead Man's Rock's upper atmosphere, the hull creaking slightly.

"More or less," responded Miranda. She seemed relaxed as she folded her arms, but Charlotte got the impression that the older woman was feeling nervous all the same. "I want my commanders with me to make a good impression down there on the Rock, and you've been a cool-headed and resourceful commander, Charlotte. Of course I'll bring you with me." As the dropship steepened its re-entry flight path, Miranda shot Charlotte a smile. "And besides, you have such a charming smile. Like mine!"

"I suppose," Charlotte had to agree. She looked down the cargo hold past the other division commanders. "But what about Nick? He's still recovering..."

Miranda's face darkened slightly. "I need to bring him for his psionic abilities. Azaru and his men refuse to set foot on this world."

"Yeah," Charlotte nodded, remembering Azaru's words from the day before: _"This reeking cesspit of a planet is not fit for Protoss presence! Meet those mercenary vermin on your own."_

"Don't worry, Charlotte," Nick reassured his friend. Although his face was pale and he had shadows under his eyes, his comforting grin had the same effect as always. "I can handle this, I think. I can communicate with Azaru from the planet's surface, if the Templar is correct about my potential."

"Just don't push it," Charlotte cautioned him. Nick's awakening of his psionic powers had ravaged his physical body to the extent that he was rendered wheelchair-bound, at least in the short term. Medical equipment was hooked to his body and kept track of vital signs while the siege tank pilot's health slowly recovered. Only by now was Nick strong enough to handle a dropship flight and leave the _Fenris_' med bay.

"Who knows?" Nick offered. "This could be a fun trip."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Deadman's Port, Dead Man's Rock,**_

_**January 6, 2505**_

"All right, so this isn't fun," Nick coughed as he and the others stormed out of yet another tavern at the seedy city of Deadman's Port. Charlotte's ears were ringing from the too-loud bluegrass rock tunes blasted from the various taverns' speakers, and her brain hummed with all sorts of unpleasant pick-up lines that had been thrown at her.

As Miranda and the others boarded a rented transport vehicle, Charlotte spoke up. "Maybe we're not approaching this the right way, ma'am. The small-time mercs are too crude and unreliable for service with us."

"I know that, but as they say, beggars can't be choosers," Miranda commented tightly as she drove the vehicle down a rusty street, past ramshackle motels, bars, and run-down factories. Countless people, from local gang thugs to the homeless to outlaws milled the streets, and numerous cars and supply trucks rocketed up and down the roads with no regard to safety. "After all, I've only received so much money from Minister Jorgensen to hire mercenaries with. I can't go past that budget, and we might need some of that money for emergency repairs sometime if we can't do the repairs ourselves."

Nick cleared his throat. "You don't even want to know what that last merc commander was thinking, ma'am," he joked feebly. "Something about a zergling, a shotgun, and..."

"Spare me," Miranda shook her head. "There are still options here, and there's bound to be at least a few hired guns who won't try to rip me off or betray me. Are you sure that first merc gang was planning to steal our valuable if we hired them?"

"Their leader was definitely considering something like that," Nick confirmed. "He was more like a con artist than a real merc."

Miranda exhaled through her nose as she took a turn. "Well, there _is _one mercenary squad I'd like to visit..."

*o*o*o*o*

"That, Red Joker, is far too high a price," Miranda scowled as she and the leader of the Raging Spades mercenary gang continued their negotiations in a large tavern. Dozens of Red Joker's commanders stood in a cluster, watching the negotiations with amusement as Miranda's crew stood at the opposite end of the spacious room. A few ceiling fans spun slowly overhead, stirring up the warm, thick air. Twangy banjo music strummed quietly on the wall-mounted speakers.

"Too high? Too high, you say?" smiled the Red Joker, a somewhat short man with ear-length red hair and twitchy fingers. He wore a thick, dark green vest with many pockets and camouflage pants, his feet encased in dark boots. He made an exaggerated shrug. "You don't play the game too well, Ms. Miranda! There's no fun in such a flat refusal."

"You're not known for haggling your price, Red Joker," Miranda told him. "You've never gone for a lower price, and I can't afford what you're asking for."

"You're fighting the Zerg, the Dominion, _and _the other half of the Hellhounds mercenary army led by Xavier Daniels," the game-loving mercenary commander reminded her. "My Raging Spades army can be a great asset in your time of need..."

"If you'll lower your price by one third," Miranda offered, "and I'll give you full salvage rights on any battle we win. Sure, there's salvage around here, but the Dominion uses advanced tech like the Banshee tactical strike craft."

The Red Joker tilted his head and looked up, considering it. He snapped his gaze back to Miranda's eyes. "No. I'm not interested in that. I have connections to get black market tech, and for going up against so many powerful foes, I need full payment."

"If you insist on your full price, you won't get any payment because I won't agree to hire you," Miranda rebuked him. "And when was the last time someone wealthy approached you? It's not every day that an unofficial ambassador of Minister Jorgensen shows up."

"I know, I know. The irony that Jorgensen sends mercenaries to hire other mercenaries," the Red Joker said with a spreading grin. "He should have given you more money to work with. He can't call my bet with the meager cash he gave you."

Looking past the poker comparison, Miranda tried another tactic. "You have an alternative fee, by what people say, but no one's ever hired you with it in a long time. I wonder, what is that other fee?"

"Oh, that," the Red Joker nodded. "It takes a sharp, perceptive mind to effectively lead an army, and if you can beat me in a series of games, Miranda, you'll get to hire me at half my original price, which would place me within hiring range of your cash total."

Although Nick didn't move in his wheelchair, his voice clearly rang in Charlotte's mind. _"He really means that! He has serious respect for those who can beat him at games... because he is so good at them himself. There's chess in his mind, plus some others. He's an odd one." _Charlotte guessed that Nick spoke these mental words to Miranda too, because the Hellhounds commander nodded. "Then let's play," she told the Red Joker.

"Great!" the red-headed man announced, clapping his hands together. "Come and join me. Let me show you why I'm the master at games!"

Two minutes later, the officers eagerly crowded around the Red Joker and Miranda sitting at opposite sides of a booth in the tavern, an antique chess board resting on the table between them. The Red Joker's pieces were black marble, smooth glossy pieces with elegant veins of white stone deposits swirling through the back stone. Miranda's pieces were the opposite, smooth white marble with streaks of black. All thirty-two pieces stood in neat rows on their respective sides.

"This set must have cost you a fortune," Miranda commented politely.

The Red Joker shrugged. "Oh, I found it for a good price on Tarsonis about eight years back. Been my favorite set I've owned. So, ready to play?" He gestured with his hand. "White goes first."

Miranda took a deep breath and reached for one of her pawns, but her hand froze when Nick's psionic mind echoed in Charlotte's mind and that of the other Hellhounds. _"Guys, hang on. I'm relaying to Azaru and his men what's going on here, and they want to help. Our chances to acquire that artifact is riding on our ability to recruit good help. Azaru is a master strategist and he's relaying to me a good set of plans for Miranda to use since I explained this game's rules to him. Miranda, I'll act as Azaru's mouthpiece. With a Protoss mind helping, how can you lose?"_

Remarkably, the mental speech took only a second or two to convey, but the Red Joker still raised his eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong?"

Miranda shook her head. "Nothing, just reconsidering my plan a bit. Okay, I'll go." She switched to a different pawn and scooted it forward two squares, then sat back and let the Red Joker go next. The game-loving mercenary let a small smile curve his lips as he chose a black pawn, moving it up two squares. Miranda's hand guided a different pawn ahead, and the Red Joker responded by hopping a knight over his pawn line. For her next move, Miranda scooted her right bishop through the gap in her pawn line, moving the bishop diagonally four squares.

"A lone attacker. Bold," the Red Joker said with glee, sliding his left rook ahead by three squares. "But we'll see how well that works."

Charlotte had dabbled in chess and other board games before, but even she lost track of what was what as the two mercenary commanders scooted their pieces around the board with increasing rapidity, each mercenary taking turns being on the offensive and defending their king from enemy pieces. One by one, white and black pieces were taken out and placed beside the board, and the two players soon slowed down again, making the most of their remaining pieces.

Miranda winced and muttered a curse as she moved her remaining knight forward, only to have it ambushed and captured by the Red Joker's last bishop from across the board. She guided her pieces back, frantically guarding her king against the Red Joker's minions who were exploiting the gap left by the captured knight. However, the Red Joker's face screwed up in concentration as Miranda's remaining warriors fended off the Red Joker's pieces, refusing to show the slightest opening in their guard.

"_I hope Azaru has a surprise checkmate plan in mind," _Charlotte couldn't help but mention to Nick. She realized that she was sweating and her heart hammered in her chest.

Although the slumped and pale Nick only watched the game with an unfocused gaze, his mental voice was clear and strong. _"Don't worry, Azaru has had his back pressed to the wall before. He's got something in mind. Just let me focus, okay? This is really hard. Don't worry, though, we'll get this done."_

Charlotte nodded and swallowed hard as Miranda's last pawn fell to the Red Joker's aggressive queen. "Your back is against the wall," the Red Joker sneered. "You can barely keep me away. Checkmating my king is impossible for you!"

"Kick his ass!" one Hellhound blurted, earning him annoyed looks from the Raging Spades officers. The Red Joker himself, however, frowned as three of Miranda's pieces slipped past the black marble ones, pushing right toward the somewhat exposed black king. The Red Joker pulled his outer pieces back, but he was forced to move his king once Miranda's rook put it in check.

"Not gonna lose, not gonna lose," the Red Joker muttered, licking his lips as he moved his pieces to intercept Miranda's marauding minions. As soon as Miranda positioned her queen, rook, and bishop in a staggered pattern, however, the Red Joker kept his hand on his king, looking over all the possible moves. No matter which way he moved the king, there was no way to avoid capture. Making a loud noise of disappointment, the Red Joker knocked over his king piece, sitting back on the booth seat. "No way. I've finally been defeated for the first time in three years, five months, and sixteen days. Yes, I keep track."

Miranda smiled. "That was a great match. You certainly lived up to your boasting. So, what is the next game we will try?"

The Red Joker narrowed his eyes. "First, why don't you tell me why a Protoss commander helped you win?"

Everyone froze at the accusation, and several Hellhounds, including Charlotte, whirled to face Nick.

"Why would you say such a thing?" Miranda asked innocently. As an answer, one of the Red Joker's men stepped forward, a thin man with an eyepatch and a heavy vest on.

"I am a psionic," the man explained. "On the run from Dominion law, but they'll never catch me. I could sense a lot of mental communication here, but the source was masking it well. It took me all match to figure out what is happening: a Protoss was talking to that man in the wheelchair, who in turn was relaying messages to you, Miranda."

Charlotte's gut clenched and she tried not to wince. _Oh, God! We've been exposed!_

Miranda sighed heavily and got up. "Red Joker, that is correct. No use hiding it now. I am planning a joint operation with a small Protoss task force led by a templar named Azaru. Our target is an alien artifact being excavated by the Dominion. If I can provide that artifact to Azaru, he will help me fight the Dominion and Xavier's Hellhounds with me as a token of trust and gratitude." She swallowed. "I needed to get your assistance for this operations and missions beyond, so I was willing to use underhanded tactics like this. I cheated. I will get out of your face now. Let's go, Hellhounds."

The Hellhounds parted as Miranda started to walk off, but the Red Joker stood up and reached out with a hand. "Wait!"

Miranda paused, turning back around. "What?"

The Red Joker burst out laughing. "I'm not angry! Maybe my ego needed that defeat in order to spur me to work harder from now on. Thanks for that. More importantly, though, you gained the trust of some Protoss and you used your resources to your advantage, and if not for my own psionic agent then you would have totally gotten away with it. I admire that. More than you know."

"What are you suggesting?"

Straightening his back and lifting his chin slightly, the Red Joker declared, "I like you, Miranda. I will consider your victory legitimate and I will honor my terms of employment. Half of my original fee, but all of my firepower. I like the sound of this mission. My guns are yours."

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief, a hand pressed over her heart. _Wow, that was close! Lucky that this Joker has a taste for sneaky methods. _She clapped a hand on Nick's wheelchair. "Pretty wild, huh?" she smiled.

Nick looked back up at her, reflecting her grin. "Most fun I've had in a long time, Charlotte."

Meanwhile, Miranda shook the Red Joker's hand. "Good to hear, and glad to have you on board. We've got some work to do."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Dig site, Naziba Mountain Range, Heralt,**_

_**Koprulu Sector, Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 7, 2505**_

"Just what is going on down there?" snapped Major Rockwell as one of his men hurried into his field office at the dig site. He was a tall man with short black hair and a full beard, his sharp blue eyes watching the younger man snapping a salute. The Major couldn't tell why his men were suddenly in such a frenzy.

"Sir! Our drilling machines have struck an underground vault of nuclear waste material that was previously unknown to us," the officer recited. "Nuclear energy had already ruined one drill machine and had damaged another. Drilling operations may have to be slowed for at least several days to make up for it."

Major Rockwell frowned and walked to his view screens, shifting the camera feeds. Some view screens showed him the massive drill vehicles sitting on the mountain range's side, as well as a variety of Dominion military vehicles and infantry formations defending the dig site. Elsewhere, however, Major Rockwell found feed of men suited in anti-radiation suits frantically trying to salvage a badly-damaged mining vehicle. His frown deepened to a silent snarl when he saw feed of large underground vaults containing poorly-constructed nuclear containers that steadily leaked glowing green waste matter.

"Sir?" the younger officer asked.

Major Rockwell whirled around. "Make sure that mining equipment gets back online as soon as possible. I'm going to organize a delegation to meet with the local government and demand to know why this nuclear waste was stored here. I'm probably going to get some excuses, to be sure, but no one will interfere with Dominion business and get away with it! Now go!"

The younger officer saluted again and hurried out of the room, and Major Rockwell sighed again and rubbed his eyes. _What a bother this mining operation is turning out to be! I can't wait for this to be over so I can be working elsewhere. Maybe I can try to take down those bothersome Raynor's Raiders._

The Major's private communication computer beeped: a private video message was on its way. The Major slumped into a leather swivel chair and pressed a button, and the surly face of a Dominion Ghost appeared. Her dark hair was swept back in a ponytail and her lips were pursed irritably, but she spoke her message quite clearly. "Major, Miranda's half of the Hellhounds army is intending to storm your mining operation and steal the artifact that you are unearthing. She has hired the Red Joker's mercenary gang, the Raging Spades to help her. More importantly, a Protoss task force is a part of this scheme as well."

Major Rockwell straightened his back, his eyes widening. "Protoss! Are you certain? That could be dangerous..."

"I'm masking my true thoughts from them, of course. No one knows that I am a mole," Marie explained impatiently. "Their leader, a templar named Azaru, is determined to get this artifact to prove his worth among his people. I don't care about his personal glory, but you should care that he is coming. His task force consists of one standard carrier and a small compliment of aerial assets, plus a sizable ground force."

The Major's mind whirled. "What about your boss, Xavier Daniels? Is he available? I may need his help. He would know best how to handle Miranda's coalition. My local forces and the natural terrain give me solid defenses, but I will take no chances."

"Smart man," Marie patronized him. "I'll make sure that my boss traps Miranda's men here and settle the score for good. Miranda and her officers must be captured and her army restored to Xavier's side. The Protoss and the Red Joker's men are completely expendable. Waste them."

"Of course," the Major nodded with pride. "No one crosses the Dominion." He shut off the screen, suddenly in a much better mood. _This is my chance to prove myself to my Emperor!_


	17. Chapter 16

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 16**

_**Landing zone, Heralt,**_

_**Koprulu Sector, Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 10, 2505**_

Although both the Battlecruiser _Fenris _and Azaru's Carrier the _Epiphany of Light _remained hidden behind Heralt's largest moon, a sizable collection of Hellhounds dropships and Azaru's warp prism craft sat in a huddle near a large forest in the shadow of a huge granite cliff. Countless troops and vehicles from both races stayed within the camp's borders, watching for any Dominion reconnaissance teams or raid forces. As Charlotte wandered around the large base camp, she squinted past Heralt's bright midday sun and stole another look at the Naziba Mountain Range, the peaks that separated Miranda's army from the Dominion dig site. The snow-capped peaks seemed ordinary enough, but according to Azaru's observer teams, the mountain range was riddled with missile turrets and numerous facilities built to collect melting glacier water to be sent to nearby cities.

At Miranda's command tent, Charlotte and the other Hellhounds commanders joined the Raging Spades commanders and Azaru's men for a quick briefing. A high-tech table took up the large tent's middle, its holographic surface offering various views of the mountain range and Dominion forces.

"All right, people," Miranda said briskly, pointing at various points of interest on the table. "The dig tunnel is twenty meters in diameter and the surrounding area is guarded by squadrons of infantry, light vehicles, and siege tanks placed in strategic positions up in the mountains. There are no blind spots for us to exploit if we were to just charge in there. What's more, the Dominion has a local airfield from where they can launch Viking, Wraith, and Banshee aircraft. There's more aircraft docked at the dig site itself."

"Every defense has its openings," the Red Joker put in confidently, plucking at his jacket. "Azaru, I bet your high-altitude observers found _something _we can do."

"I have studied the tactical aspects of Terran vehicles," Azaru put in, his eyes shining a steady electric blue. He inclined his head slightly. "Your Banshee strike craft would be capable of destroying many of the defensive siege tank vehicles without fear of retaliation, so long as the enemy is taken by surprise."

Miranda leaned over the table, gripping its edge. "Azaru's right. Both Dominion airfields could scramble their fighters and overwhelm us in minutes, but the Red Joker's Banshees are equipped with cloak devices."

"That's right," the mercenary commander nodded, then his face fell. "But those AA turrets have somethin' to say about it. My Banshees can't get close."

"I've got something for that," Miranda smiled. "William?"

A brawny Reaper commander stepped forward, his green eyes having a hard glint like emerald chips. His brown hair was cut close to his scalp and he had a pointed nose like a hawk beak. "I have been chosen to succeed Trevor as the commander of the Hellhounds special strike force, and my men and I are prepared to neutralize the Dominion AA line," he said flatly. "Once we have done our work, your craft will be clear to take out those siege tanks."

Recognition played across the Red Joker's face and he pointed appreciatively at William. "Ahhhh, you Reaper guys use handheld mines, don't ya?"

William nodded once. "Correct. However, my men will be forced to withdraw once we have struck. We cannon withstand a Dominion counterattack, so get your flyboys in there to take care of business as fast as possible."

"And once the Dominion's siege tanks are out, our combined forces can move in via dropships and warp prisms," Miranda added firmly. "But for all we know, the Dominion has already secured that alien artifact. If they have, then when we assault their base, they could dispatch a small team to spirit away the artifact and render this mission pointless. That must not happen. I need a small team to slip in and secure that artifact."

"I'll do it." Charlotte spoke up, taking a step forward. All eyes trained on her.

"Are you certain, Terran?" asked one of Azaru's men.

Charlotte swallowed hard. "Yes, I am. Requesting permission to lead the infiltration team, ma'am. My scout forces can outrun almost anything." Miranda nodded her approval, so Charlotte then turned to Azaru, the short zealot who was barely her height. "I'll get you your artifact, Azaru."

Azaru made a short bow. _"En taro Tassadar, _Charlotte," he intoned. "Your bravery and courtesy are commendable. Should you do this for me, my men and I pledge to see the Hellhounds victorious over the money-obsessed mercenaries that Xavier Daniels leads. Your army will find its salvation. The Umojans will have their guardians."

"Great," Miranda beamed. "We've all got our assignments, then. By the way, Charlotte, take a look at this map for possible operation routes. There's a number of irrigation channels in the mountainside you could try out. It's not glacier-melting season just yet..."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Naziba Mountain Range, Heralt,**_

_**Koprulu Sector, Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 10, 2505**_

With his Nitro pack jump jets boosting him through the chilly mountain air, William carefully touched down on a rocky outcropping, cutting the power to his boosters as his booted feet landed on the rock. Around him landed the three other Reapers of Alpha squad, their huge Scythe pistols held at the ready. Bravo, Charlie, and Delta squads were strung out across the mountain range, all waiting for their commander's signal.

William looked up, his helmet's tactical scanner getting a positive ID on three missile turrets that sat on a rocky ledge, their impressive missile racks rotating on an axis to cover all possible vectors. William looked back down and pointed two fingers at the turrets, the signal to move out.

Collective war cries filled the comm channel as the Reapers ascended the rugged mountain slopes, jets of bright flame roaring from each man's rocket boosters. William fired up his boosters again, his body vibrating from the power output as he rose gracefully into the air. The other three Reapers of Alpha squad stayed in formation, raising their pistols for the kill. Sudden bursts of Gauss rifle gunfire filled the air, spurts of bright yellow light flashing from the gun muzzles of the Dominion marines defending the turrets. Countless Gauss slugs zipped unseen through the cold air, but the Alpha Reapers fearlessly vaulted higher into the sky and took aim.

William felt strong kicks from his pistols as he squeezed the triggers, his crosshairs lined up on the nearest red-armored marine. Shards of body armor and gushes of blood exploded from the marine's chest as William's heavy bullets hammered him, causing the marine to jerk backward from the kinetic force and fell flat onto his back, his rifle firing wildly into the air. The other nearby marines trained their guns on William, spreading out their fire to minimize William's escape routes.

A sudden blast of fire sent four marines flying, and William turned to see another Reaper with one less handheld mine on his belt. _Good throw, but don't waste any more mines on the infantry, _William thought, then repeated his command to the Reaper. Meanwhile, he strafed to the side, taking aim and firing again. A marine had rolled to evade the other Reapers, but he tumbled clumsily onto his face when William's bullets slammed into his arms and legs. Dropping his rifle from his numbed arms, the marine started to weakly crawl away from the battlefield, leaving behind a trail of blood.

_No you don't, son, _William thought coldly, rocketing over to the wounded marine and standing over the injured soldier. He pressed his left pistol's muzzle right at the marines' neck between the armor plates, one shot stopping the marine's struggling for good. William turned back and saw the rest of Alpha team finishing off the remaining marines, the armored soldiers falling over as their bodies were riddled with powerful anti-personnel bullets. In the distance, William could hear the sharp cracks of gunfire from the other three assault points.

Detaching one mine from his belt, William pressed the mine's countdown button and approached the missile turret, tossing his explosive device. The beeping mine latched right onto the huge turret's hull, counting down to its detonation. William stood back as the other three men on his team tossed their own mines, then all four Reapers took to the air, gliding down to a lower spot with cover.

Just as he and the other Reapers huddled in the cover spot, an earth-shuddering quartet of explosions rocked the mountain wall, with blasts of fire raging out into the open air. Huge flaming chunks of neo-steel armor scattered in every direction, and the AA missiles stored inside the ruined turret exploded one after another like a box of firecrackers, all of them triggered by the mines.

"On to the second one," Trevor commanded, taking the lead as he rocketed his way back up toward the second missile turret. A few marines stood by the turret, but they turned and fled in fear as the Reapers arrived, knowing what had happened to their fellow marines at the first turret. Still, William raised his pistols and aimed down the sights, watching as the marines dropped to the ground from his bullets. Once again four mines were set onto the missile turret, and William and the others lowered themselves to a spot that offered protection from debris. The second missile turret exploded on cue, its internal missiles all going off like the first turret's. _Just one to go, _William thought.

"This is Charlie One! We're pinned down!" a panicked voice burst on the comm. "Facing heavy resistance!"

"Get to cover! I'm coming!" William barked back, raising his pistols. "Men, we're going to relieve Charlie squad. We'll get back to this turret once they're in the clear. This turret ain't going anywhere anyway."

Propelling himself across the cliffs, William led the other three Reapers to Charlie squad's position, beholding the numerous marines and firebats that sprayed Charlie squad with fire. Although the Reapers flitted from side to side with their jet packs to avoid the worst of the enemy fire, they could not get close. One Charlie squad Reaper tumbled to the rocks when a marine's bullets tore into his left leg and jet pack. Fuel leaked from the jet pack and pooled on the ground.

"Get clear!" William shouted quickly. The other Reapers scooted away from their downed fellow at once, and the injured Reaper's leaking jet booster caught fire and exploded, sending flaming chunks of flesh everywhere in a sickening display. Pursing his lips, William raised his pistols and caught an enemy firebat by surprise, his bullets eating slowly through the firebat's thick Juggernaut-type armor. Still, the kinetic force of William's bullets threw the firebat to the side, and the firebat flailed his arms to stay steady, his flames going everywhere. Snapping his pistols' sights on a new target, William shot up the firebat's fuel tank gaskets. At once, the firebat vanished in a blinding fireball much like the Reaper earlier.

The other three Reapers of Alpha squad similarly took the Dominion defenders by surprise, vaulting high into the air and raining heavy fire. The defending marines and firebats shielded themselves with their arms and crouched, but it did little good: they slumped in bloody pools one by one, their armor and helmet glass shattered. Alpha squad landed in unison, and William approached the Charlie squad commander. "What happened here?"

"Nothing you didn't see, sir," the Reaper shrugged, then holstered his twin pistols. "More guards around this turret than the others. At least none of them got away to warn the rest of the Dominion forces of our presence."

"Good. So the Dominion will take longer to marshal its defenses when the assault begins," William nodded, wondering what Trevor would have done for this mission. _Knowing him, he probably would have charged over the mountain range with his men and thrown the rest of his mines at the defensive tank line. Would that even work? It's not my place to find out. I am the proper example of a leader. Not Trevor._

William pointed at the missile turret. "Get charges on that thing ASAP and get down the cliff for cover. My squad will go back for the other turret."

Within minutes, the remaining missile turrets flew apart in fiery detonations, robbing the dig site of its primary AA defense. The thirteen total surviving Reapers called in a low-flying dropship and hopped on board, flying all the way back to the base camp.

"So, are we ready for stage two?" Miranda asked when William reported back to the command tent.

William saluted. "Good to go, ma'am."

*o*o*o*o*

Captain Jack Hart gripped the flight sticks of his Banshee tightly as he steered his craft toward the waiting mountain range. Around him flew the other two Banshees of his squad and 100 meters to the left, three more Banshees flew in formation. Each one sported the logo of the Raging Spades on its hull, and Jack couldn't help but grin to himself. _Here's where we earn our pay!_

"Fast and low, people. There may be Goliath walkers over there waiting for us," Jack warned his wing mates. "But still, no missile turrets means an easier run for us. Azaru's observers have located the siege tank positions. Plotting assault vectors now." He tapped a few buttons on his dashboard and the tactical map lit up with almost two dozen siege tank vehicles positioned in a wide curve along the mountain range. On the opposite side of the dig site lay the bulk of the Dominion army, waiting for any attacking force to assault the dig site across the open plains.

Jack eased his throttle forward, and the twin propeller sets on his Banshee screamed a mechanical whine as his craft shot forward toward the looming mountains. As the peaks and the rubble of the missile turrets drew close, Jack pulled a lever on his dashboard and received a confirmation message as his vehicle became virtually invisible. "Engage stealth mode," he ordered, and around him, the five other Banshees seemed to melt into the sky, with only their signatures on Jack's scanners proving their existence.

The six Banshees glided low over the mountains and the full size of the Dominion base alarmed Jack. A gigantic round hole in the ground marked the dig site, surrounded by huge yellow cranes, transport trucks, pre-fabricated worker garrisons, and more importantly, a vast array of Dominion troops, vehicles, and fortified positions. Luckily, the base's Viking squadrons were parked at the dig site's airfield, making them no more of a threat than the unwary fighters at the other Dominion airbase. Up ahead, near the base of the mountains, sat countless siege tanks deployed with their Crucio Shock Cannons rotating slowly on the spot.

"Targets locked. Open fire!" Jack barked. At once he shoved hard on his joysticks, dipping his Banshee's nose and sending the craft roaring forth. Red indicators on Jack's HUD locked onto the nearest four siege tanks and he squeezed the triggers on his joysticks. Four Backlash rockets streaked through the air, leaving curvy trails of pale gray smoke as the rockets homed in on their targets. Four roiling fireballs erupted a few seconds later, and Jack angled his craft back upwards to avoid the rush of fire and hot air. Around him the other Banshees let loose, their own Backlash rockets tearing into the siege tanks and surrounding rock formations.

Shoving his joysticks in another direction, Jack sent his Banshee on a curving flight path, angling upwards and back over the mountains as sharply as his craft's propellers would allow. He was just in time; the Dominion base had already scrambled a fighter that showed up as a fast-moving ping on Jack's radar. Frowning, Jack leaned closer to his HUD and felt a chill as his HUD's computers got a positive ID on the bogey. The rotating image of a Raven spy drone appeared on a nearby screen, confirming that a second attack run was too risky. Within minutes, the dig site's Vikings could be scrambled and shoot down Jack's squads.

"We're pulling out," Jack spoke on the battle comm. "The Dominion is catching on to our little raid here. We softened up the Dominion's backdoor defenses. Now it's up to Miranda and Azaru to send over their dropships and land the assault force over the mountains."

"And we'll give 'em hell!" shouted another Banshee pilot gleefully as the strike teams passed safely back over the mountains.

Jack gripped his joysticks tightly. "Oh, we will."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Landing zone, Melshass,**_

_**Koprulu Sector, Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 10, 2505**_

The roaring engine ports of the Umojan dropship were the only sound Trevor could hear as the dropship's bay door snapped closed and the craft lifted into the air. Down on the jungle floor, three dozen cyborg infantry stood in formation, their minds buzzing with the magnitude of the challenge they would face in the coming days. Higher and higher the dropship glided until it adjusted its thruster ports and roared off into the evening sky, eventually becoming a tiny speck that vanished into the purple-hued sky.

"Well, isn't this going to be a fun field trip," a marine joked. The man's entire left arm had a chain-gun built into it, a weapon he would never drop. "A bug raid!"

"We're not gonna make it, man," a Reaper said, his eyes hollow as he stared at the surrounding trees and foliage. The air was damp and buzzed with the sounds of birds and insects. "We can't take out an entire Zerg hive here!"

"Buck up, wimp," Trevor snapped. He pointed at the detonation device sitting nearby. "We've got this. Press the button and we get a Zerg barbecue!"

A Marauder looked warily at the nuke. "Getting it there'll be the tough part. Even if the Zerg hive is 'small and developing', according to the briefing, this seems to be a tall order."

Trevor stepped into the group's center, a cocky smirk crossing his face. He brushed one hand against his left Scythe pistol's holster. "We were the best of the best before we were re-worked into cyborgs, and now we never get tired or get sick or injured. We've practiced and drilled together like crazy, and hell, Dr. Hanson wouldn't send us here unless she _knew _we could kick some serious ass. She wouldn't throw away her valuable, and _expensive_, cyborg army like that."

A marine with a huge bayonet installed to his wrist raised his eyebrows. "Do you have a plan, Trevor?"

The former Hellhounds Reaper turned to face the marine. "Hell yes I do. We slip in to the Zerg hive, slaughter everything in our way, and set off that nuke right in their biggest hatchery. Ka-boom!"

"I guess we could use our force's small size to get past the biggest Zerg armies," another marine suggested. "And the jungle foliage makes excellent cover."

"Pretty much," Trevor nodded. "Dr. Hanson wants the Zerg wiped out of this planet before the hive planted here can get any bigger. Well, that's damn well what's going to happen! Who's with me?" He pounded his huge metal fists together and made a smug grin as the rest of the cyborgs cheered their support for their new de facto leader.


	18. Chapter 17

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 17**

_**Dig site, Heralt,**_

_**Koprulu Sector, Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 10, 2505**_

Charlotte couldn't help but feel a little trapped as she steered her hellion through one of the empty irrigation channels built into the Naziba mountain range. The smooth walls had floodlights, drainage systems, and thick containment chambers built into them, but nothing moved or made a sound except for Charlotte's squad of hellions and Vulture hover bikes. Charlotte checked her HUD yet again, realizing that she was nearly at the end of the tunnel, and as soon as she popped out, she'd enter a battle zone. _Miranda and Azaru have probably launched the assault by now_, she told herself. _It's going to get hot, but my boys and girls can handle it. _The steady whine of her hellion's engine echoed loudly in the channel, making her grateful for the semi-soundproof nature of her vehicle's hull. All of her autocannon rounds and short-range missiles were locked and loaded.

Bright sunlight flooded Charlotte as her hellion roared out of the tunnel's entrance, and she roved her vehicle across an empty concrete reservoir with multiple slopes acting as exit ramps. Pressing harder on her gas pedal, Charlotte hung on tight to her steering wheel, roaring up the central ramp and up onto the rolling hills beyond the mountains.

Chaos greeted her.

Overhead, squads of Miranda's Wraiths arced and looped in the air, performing a deadly aerial dance with the Dominion's own Wraiths and Viking fighters, with missiles and torpedoes streaking everywhere and leaving plumes of smoke. Every so often, one vehicle blossomed into flames, its charred chunks falling to the mountains of hills below. Thousands of infantry on both sides rushed to greet each other, exchanging heavy fire as they wrestled for control of bunkers, trenches, and rocky outcroppings that provided high ground. Taken by surprise, the Dominion's siege tanks had found themselves guarding the wrong area of the dig site, never expecting an attack from over the Naziba mountains. The Dominion's tanks rolled across the battlefield, their cannons blasting craters in the earth and sending tons of dirt and Hellhounds marines alike flying into the air.

More and more Hellhounds dropships soared over the mountains, landing at designated hot zones and lowering themselves to the ground. Platoons of infantry and squads of siege tanks and Goliath walkers stomped out of the ships' troop bays, rushing to aid their fellows on the battlefield. There was no sign yet of the Protoss, but Charlotte knew that Azaru's men would arrive soon to provide cavalry support and take the Dominion by surprise.

Wrenching her eyes from the widespread battle, Charlotte tapped into her squad's comm. "Listen up, folks: eyes on the prize. We're skirting the battlefield to reach the dig site. That alien artifact is the key component of this whole operation. If you find _any _Dominion dropships taking off from the dig site, call in an airstrike. We won't let the Dominion get away with our prize."

"Yes, ma'am!" the voices of Charlotte's squad mates chattered on the battle comm. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte wrenched her steering wheel to the side and curved across the hills, slipping behind a row of Dominion buildings for cover. She guided her vehicle onto one of the many hastily-paved roads on the dig site's area, praying that she wouldn't run into an ambush. Getting an idea, she focused her thoughts to Nick. _Hey, can you get me into contact with the Red Joker? I haven't been given his battle frequency._

Nick's psionic voice rang in Charlotte's head. _Yeah, I can do that. Marie would be better at this, but I can't get into contact with her. She's blocking me out for some reason. I can't even tell where she is._

_Strange, _Charlotte sent back. _But still, ask the Red Joker to give me Banshee support if I need it. I'm on the east side of the dig site_.

A minute later, an unfamiliar voice entered Charlotte's comm. "This is Diamond One to Scout One, covering you from the air. I won't let no Dominion ambush keep ya from that artifact. Go get 'em! I've got your back."

"Copy that, Diamond One," Charlotte responded. She split off the road and trundled past a small town of prefabricated workers' housing, her fellows not far behind. _Let's make this work._

*o*o*o*o*

Azaru felt himself materialize within a psionic matrix, and he fell to the solid ground in a kneeling position with with his fellow zealots around him. The short zealot snapped up to his full height, blazing his twin psi blades to life on his wrists. "Forward, templar!" he thundered. "Let the Dominion feel our fury!" _I won't sit idly at the base camp while my men are fighting!_

The overhead warp prism, an elegant gold craft with crystalline wings, lifted itself on a psionic cushion and streaked through the air, its passenger bay now empty. Azaru's fellows flared their psi blades to life, charging across the rocky ledge where they had been deployed. Up ahead, a cluster of Dominion siege tanks had deployed themselves into artillery mode, their huge cannons booming with every explosive shell they fired onto Hellhounds positions. A cluster of marines and heavy Marauder soldiers stood guard, and the infantry whirled around to face the incoming Protoss.

Countless Gauss bullets hissed through the air, but Azaru vaulted and leaped through the air like an acrobat, letting only a few bullets bounce off his shimmering blue shield. He landed on the rough ground in a controlled tumble, springing to his feet amid the shocked enemy marines. Azaru whirled around with his arms outstretched, his sizzling psi blades cleaving into three marines' armor. With smoke, sparks, and blood gushing from the wounds, the marines collapsed to the ground, their Gauss rifles firing wildly.

More of Azaru's men pounced onto the scene, whirling through the marines' ranks with expert grace and deadly finesse. Azaru felt harmless Terran blood splash onto his arms and chest armor while more Gauss bullets chewed away at his shields, but he ignored the mess and stabbed his right blade at a marine's neck, his blade slipping into the junction between the Terran's chest plate and helmet. With a bloody gurgle, the marine slumped onto his back, unmoving.

"We cannot endure for much longer, Azaru!" one zealot shouted over the din as more marines and Marauders rushed onto the scene to flank the Protoss. Already, several zealots succumbed to enemy fire, their shields flickering weakly and then vanishing under enemy fire. The zealots' bodies jerked and convulsed as bullets and Marauder grenades ravaged them from head to foot, and then the warriors collapsed, leaking purple blood.

Azaru sent out a mental command. _Reinforce my position at once!_

From overhead glided two more warp prisms, their engines humming loudly as both craft settled to the earth. In a dazzling blue and white display, a dozen more zealots materialized onto the scene, pouncing onto the marines and Marauders like hungry jaguars. Then, a handful of tall, four-legged stalker assault walkers warped in from the prism craft, striding onto the battlefield. Their bodies spat out focused beams of energy, the bolts stabbing into the marines and Marauders like knives. Smoking enemy soldiers collapsed from the assault, the survivors scrambling back before they met the same fate.

The Dominion troops recovered faster than Azaru expected. Already, the marines unleashed a withering storm of fire onto the zealots, forcing Azaru and the Protoss warriors to fall back. The Marauders lumbered forth, raising their arms and flinging Punisher grenades everywhere. The stalkers' shields flared in protest as the grenades showered the stalkers with earth-shuddering fireballs, and Azaru saw two stalkers' bodies get blasted into charred silver shards by the explosives.

Finally, the warp prisms released the last of their cargo. Six flat, one-eyed sentries hovered toward the battlefield, the spheroid crystals built into their bodies glowing brightly. Huge psionic bubbles enveloped the Protoss task force, and the Marauders' second volley of grenades merely hammered away at the sentries' shields, and the Dominion infantry faltered in shock, not expecting such a powerful defense.

"Charge!" Azaru declared. He pounced once again, his fellow zealots springing onto the marines with blades slicing everywhere. The stalkers skittered forth on their slender legs, their energy beams cutting into the Marauders' thick armor slowly but steadily. A stalker reeled as countless Punisher grenades ravaged its body, and the battle walker's legs fought to keep the machine steady. The stalker fired another pair of beams, the bolts slicing off a Marauder's left arm. The Terran fell to his knees as sparks and smoke poured from his wound, but the heavyset Marauder raised his other arm, his arm recoiling from launching another grenade.

The injured stalker vanished at the last second, however, its body fading into thin air with a touch of Void energy. The Punisher grenade exploded harmlessly into the ground, blasting a new crater. Then the stalker popped back into existence to the Marauder's right, its damaged silver body creaking as it moved. Still, the stalker lined up its torso-mounted guns and fired, its energy beams slashing into the Marauder's neck. The Terran sprawled face-down in a spreading pool of blood.

"Finish them, warriors," Azaru barked as the Dominion forces fell back from the Protoss onslaught. A sentry shrieked in a metallic voice as a Punisher grenade blasted it into shards, its loose psionic ball rolling away. Still, the other sentries sent out beams of their own energy, hardening their energy into hexagonal force fields behind the retreating Dominion forces. Trapped, the Terran soldiers pressed their backs against the ethereal wall, firing desperately. Closing the gap quickly, Azaru and the other zealots got within knife range and weaved their psi blades in a deadly web across the infantry formations. At the same time, the surviving stalkers blinked up close and added their own fire. Azaru slashed his blades into one last marine, watching the Terran slump to the ground against a force field. The infantry were no more, but the siege tanks still fired steadily, pounding the Hellhounds mercilessly.

With a mental command, Azaru sent his zealots to the siege tanks, the warriors climbing aboard the helpless tanks and slicing their way into each tank's crew cabin. One by one, the siege tanks ceased fire as zealots fought their way inside, and gushes of blood from the tanks' hatches and the cries of Terrans marked the demise of the tank crews within.

_Grim work, but necessary, _Azaru thought. _This is my chance to redeem myself in the eyes of my superiors. That artifact will be mine._

*o*o*o*o*

"Watch out!" Charlotte wrenched her steering wheel hard to the right, and her hellion's tires screeched against the open ground, kicking up dirt everywhere. She was just in time; heavy bullets from a Goliath walker's autocannon guns ripped into the ground where Charlotte had been, and the Goliath was not alone. Several more Goliaths marched through the workers' compound, backed up by Marauders and a few siege tanks. The rest of Charlotte's team scattered, weaving between the buildings to evade enemy fire. Frustrated, the siege tanks and Marauders wildly fired their shots everywhere, blasting the small buildings apart into fireballs that sent scraps of walls and glass everywhere.

"This is Scout One to Diamond One! Requesting air support, over!" Charlotte barked into her comm. She raced away from a small building just before a siege tank's shell blew it to hell.

"I copy that, but my team is taking fire," the Raging Spades Banshee pilot responded. "Dominion Vikings are trying to take me down, but the Hellhounds flyboys are helping out. I'll get there when I can."

Grinding her teeth, Charlotte swerved and tracked her crosshairs onto a hostile Marauder, then squeezed the trigger. The autocannon turret mounted on her hellion spat out a cluster of heavy shells that tore into the armored Marauder. The heavy soldier jerked from the impacts, armor shards blasting off his chest in bloody chunks. The Marauder was thrown onto his back from the kinetic force, lying there limply. However, two more Marauders hurried onto the scene, raising their arms and loosing their Punisher grenades. Charlotte curved away from their line of fire, letting the grenades explode on the ground instead. The fireballs released a shock wave that shoved into Charlotte's hellion, nearly throwing it onto its side. Frantically working her hellion's controls, Charlotte drove her vehicle on its two right wheels for a few heart-stopping seconds, then settled the hellion back on all four wheels.

More autocannon shells ripped through the air, and three Goliaths marched toward Charlotte's hellion, cutting off her escape. The assault walkers fired more autocannon rounds through the air, and a few stray shots scraped Charlotte's hellion on the left flank. Red warning lights lit up on Charlotte's screen and she was rattled in her cockpit by the shells' force, but she hung on tight and changed course, throwing off the Goliaths' aim.

"Flank them!" Charlotte shouted. From behind the Goliaths sped four Vulture bikes, all roaring right toward the unsuspecting walkers. High-explosive grenades shot out the bikes' front launchers, and the four grenades bounced off a Goliath and exploded in a ripple of fireballs. The Goliath stumbled awkwardly forward, its inner gyro systems fighting to keep balance. Armor chunks flew off the walker's back and its left arm sheared off, falling to the ground and rolling away.

_Yeah, that's it, _Charlotte thought with glee. The other two Goliaths whirled around to face the Vultures, opening fire with their arm-mounted autocannons. The Vultures swooped away to evade the fire, but one of them vanished in a blaze of flames and debris as autocannon shells tore it apart and breached the fuel tank. Furious, Charlotte aimed her crosshairs at the wounded Goliath, her fingers resting on different triggers. When the HUD confirmed a target lock, Charlotte squeezed her triggers. Four short-range missiles streaked out of her hellion's sides, all four warheads homing in to the Goliath like hungry piranhas.

More explosions enveloped the Goliath, this time on the front. Its legs wobbling and creaking loudly from the strain, the Goliath slumped to the side, its bulbous body crashing heavily to the ground. Its legs screeched as they were bent from the Goliath's fall, the legs' armor cracking and shattering like glass.

"Aaaaargh!" one other hellion pilot on Charlotte's team howled as Marauders caught his vehicle in deadly crossfire, the combined Punisher grenades blasting the vehicle sky-high. A second later, another hellion succumbed to a siege tank's lucky shot, and Charlotte demanded into the comm, "Where's that air support? My team is down to five!"

The familiar scream of Banshees engines filled the air. "Coming in hot!" Diamond One declared on the comm. Four battle-scarred Banshees dipped down from the sky, swooping over the battlefield in one quick flyby. Dozens of Backlash rockets scattered from the Banshees' missile pods, hammering the battlefield all over the place. Charlotte swerved and floored the gas pedal, quickly escaping the line of fire.

The Dominion forces weren't so lucky. Caught unaware, the Goliaths weren't even able to prepare their AA missiles when the Banshee strike came. The lumbering walkers fell into chunks, blasted apart by the rockets. As the Goliaths fell in flaming heaps, the Dominion Marauders were flung everywhere by the explosions like rag dolls, and the siege tanks were blasted aside, flung onto their backs or destroyed outright.

"Good work, Diamond One!" Charlotte shouted on the comm, elated. Only a few Marauders started to get back to their feet, and one Goliath walker that had been at the edge of the danger area marched past its fallen allies, autocannons poised for combat. To her surviving teammates, Charlotte said, "form up on me. We're getting outta here."

Three Vultures and one other hellion formed up with Charlotte, the five vehicles slipping away from the workers' compound and roaring across the open plains toward the dig site itself.

The voice of a data officer aboard the _Fenris_ entered Charlotte's comm. "Be advised, Scout One. I've broken into the Dominion's data network and there's been a large nuclear spill in the dig site. Don't get too close."

Charlotte felt her stomach go cold in anxiety. "If the artifact is still in there, it could be lost to all of us. But if it's not, then the Dominion has already taken it out and I've got to find it fast."

"Good luck," the voice responded. "I – wait! New contact! A big one!"

A shadow loomed over the battlefield, and Charlotte and her scouts slowed down enough to get a look up in the sky. A mammoth Battlecruiser slowly lowered itself toward the dig site, its bay doors opening to admit a stream of dropships and Vikings. The words DIRE WOLF were painted on the Battlecruiser's hull in bright red letters. Charlotte knew what this meant. _Xavier Daniels has found us! He's still determined to capture Miranda and reunite the Hellhounds under his banner to fight with the Dominion. How did he find us?_

_Charlotte! _Came Nick's psionic voice. _I broke into Marie's thoughts. She's... she's giving away our location to the crew of the Dire Wolf. She's been feeding Daniels information all along! We've been betrayed by a mole._

Charlotte pursed her lips. _One problem at a time, Nick. I'm sure Miranda and Azaru will find a way to handle Marie. For now, I have to get that artifact and then we all get out of here._

_Will it be that easy? _Nick sent back. _Daniels means business, and even with Azaru and the Raging Spades with us, can we handle both Daniels' men and the Dominion?_

_We'll just have to try, _Charlotte responded tightly. _Just have a little faith._

_I'll try._

*o*o*o*o*

_**Jungles, Melshass,**_

_**Koprulu Sector, Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 10, 2505**_

The sun was high overhead but the dense green foliage reduced the light to narrow gold shafts that stabbed down to the forest floor, providing just enough light for Trevor and his cyborg squadmates to see the Zerg monsters pouring in from all sides. Already, dozens of Zerg lay in shredded, bleeding heaps on the ground an in the bushes, but more of them came crashing through the vegetation with murder in their eyes. Trevor gnashed his teeth and fired up his Nitro jet packs, shoving his feet off the soft earth. His whole mechanical body shuddered from the exhaust jets as he streaked upwards, landing on the wide, moss-coated branch of a towering tree.

Seizing one nearby branch to secure himself, Trevor extended his right arm, aiming his Scythe pistol at a hydralisk that sprouted from the foliage to ambush a cyborg marine. Trevor squeezed his trigger three times, and the hydralisk shrieked and pulled back, its head jerking from the bullets' impacts. The marine whirled around, snapping his Gauss rifle into position. A burst of bullets ravaged the hydralisk, causing blood to leak everywhere. Gurgling, the monster slumped into a bush, squirming faintly until it bled out.

"Damn it," Trevor muttered as the foliage rustled and a handful of new Zerg creatures rushed onto the scene. Several acid-bloated banelings waddled out from behind a tree, croaking loudly in fury. While a pair of marines busily fought back a cluster of zerglings, three banelings dragged themselves to the marines, hunching their shoulders and tensing their back muscles.

Realizing what was about to happen, Trevor kicked off from his tree branch, his Nitro packs blazing. He glided over the banelings, aiming both pistols and unloading on the bloated monsters while shouting a warning. The marines rolled to the side, quickly scrambling to their feet and backing up with their tireless mechanical bodies. Meanwhile, Trevor tore up the three banelings with his fired bullets, watching as the beasts exploded in a shower of sizzling acid. One of the marines, however, cried out as a zergling's claw seized his foot. Toppling to the ground, the marine wailed in terror as the banelings' acid corroded his metal body from the feet up with clouds of foul-smelling smoke.

The marine squirmed as his legs melted into slag, and he desperately reached out and deployed the small anti-personnel machine guns in his wrists. The guns blazed, small bullets tearing into the face of the nearest zergling. The zergling fell back, its skull shattered by the hailstorm of bullets. Two other zerglings, however, hopped toward the marine's flesh and blood head, intending to tear it off.

Trevor landed near the marine, his pistols flashing. The zerglings squealed and slumped over in death, but three more popped out of a bush and dug their claws into the marine's head, and with a spray of blood and brains, the marine went still.

Nearby, two Marauders backed up toward a wide tree, their Punisher grenades flying everywhere against several approaching roaches. The Marauders' grenades repeatedly blasted small craters into the ground, forcing the roaches back. One roach grunted as its front legs were blasted off, and the heavy creature fell flat on its stomach. One grenade to the face ended the roach's struggling, but then two hydralisks emerged from the foliage behind the Marauders, their scythe-like arms raised. One arm slashed down, cutting into a Marauder's left shoulder with a screech of claw against metal. The Marauder tore himself free, but his arm snapped off in a shower of sparks and loose wires.

The other Marauder raised his arm and fired, his grenades blasting the hydralisk's own arm off. Growling, the hydralisk slunk back into cover, but the other one tensed its muscles and released a cloud of organic spines. The needles rattled off the one-armed Marauder's armor, but a few needles punched into the cyborg's delicate inner systems. Smoke leaked from the wounds, and the Marauder stumbled, falling to one knee.

"Raaaah!" Trevor hurried over, his pistols tearing apart the hydralisk's head and neck. Writhing in death, the Zerg monster collapsed, but Trevor look a quick look around and saw more Zerg entering the clearing. Frowning, Trevor pointed. "Let's get out of here! I found a few caves along a ridge that way. We have to get to shelter now!"

"What if we get trapped?" another Reaper asked as his bullets tore into a zergling.

"Better than getting swarmed in here!" Trevor shouted back. "And we can always blast our way free with grenades and mines. But come on! Get that nuke and follow me!"

Two marines took hold of the nuclear device, hauling it in the direction Trevor specified. The rest of the cyborgs escorted them, backing up while firing continuously at any Zerg that got too close. Through the jungle the cyborg squad advanced, checking their flanks for ambushes. Just as they reached the rocky ridges Trevor had specified, hundreds of Zerg poured out of the foliage, each and every one howling its hunger and flashing its teeth.

"Go! Go!" Trevor demanded, motioning toward the largest cave. "I can block the entrance with a mine. Activate your lights!"

Without hesitation, the cyborgs scrambled into the cave, lights on their armor providing more than enough light in the cave. Trevor went in last, firing his pistols defiantly at the Zerg that funneled toward the cave mouth. Unclasping a mine from his belt, Trevor pressed his thumb onto the mine's button and the device began to beep with a steady red light. Tossing the mine upwards, Trevor grinned with elation as the mine latched into the cave mouth's roof, its beeping getting faster as the Zerg started to enter the cave. With a blinding flash and ear-shuddering boom, the cave roof released a cascade of heavy boulders, crushing the Zerg underneath with a cloud of dust. The cave rumbled as the whole rock structure shifted, and Trevor prayed that the whole cave wouldn't come down. Luckily, no such thing happened, and the cave stabilized.

"Did it work?" a marine tentatively asked, shining his lights onto the rubble wall.

"Sure did," Trevor responded calmly, sheathing his pistols. He marveled that after all that fighting, no one was out of breath or needed a break. _Being mostly machine has its perks. _"But our work isn't done yet. We need to find an exit to this cave, and if there isn't one, then make one. Then we haul that nuke to the hive cluster and call it a day. Luckily, I've still got my map digitally stored in my brain. I can lead us there."

Turning back to his comrades, Trevor did a quick head count. Fifteen individuals survived out of an initial twenty, although a few were maimed: that Marauder has lost his arm, and a marine had suffered a similar injury. One other marine had lost his leg below the knee, but he insisted that he could hobble along and make use of himself.

"All right, then," Trevor declared, marching into the cave's cool, dark depths. "Let's get going."


	19. Chapter 18

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 18**

_**Dig site, Heralt,**_

_**Koprulu Sector, Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 10, 2505**_

Like a flying fortress, the _Dire Wolf _Battlecruiser hovered over the dig site's war-torn fields, with dropships and fighters continuing to pour from its hangars. The massive steel-gray craft's turrets swiveled into position, and a hailstorm of red energy bolts flew every which way like a light show. From her hellion's cockpit, Charlotte watched in alarm as her friendly Hellhounds, the Raging Spades, and Azaru's men all shrank back from the vicious aerial bombardment. Encouraged by the presence of allied forces, the Dominion troops gained the initiative, their infantry platoons, vehicle formations, and fighters surging forward to punish the retreating invaders.

"Ignore them, Scout One," came Miranda's strained voice in Charlotte's helmet comm. "Your mission is top priority! The Dominion and Xavier's men are concerned with the armies at large. Get that artifact now!"

"I'm on it, ma'am," Charlotte responded, then told her men, "we're going after that artifact. Stay close to me and stay out of hostile fire zones."

"Roger that," came the four voices, and Charlotte took a deep breath, gripping her steering wheel hard as she squared her shoulders. _Looks like it all comes down to my squad._

Charlotte stomped down on her acceleration pedal, curving her vehicle away from the Dominion forces and toward the outer plains, abandoning the dig site's roads entirely. Unfriendly Hellhounds Vikings and Banshees roared past overhead, ignoring the fire scouts below them. All the same, Charlotte tapped into Miranda's channel. "This is Scout One, requesting air cover."

"That's a negative, Scout One," Miranda told her. "We've got our hands full. Your speed is your biggest asset."

_As if this couldn't get any worse, _Charlotte thought, arcing her trail back toward the dig site's center where the dig hole and officer's stations were. She guided her hellion back onto the road, its wheels finding better traction and speeding up the vehicle. So far, she only saw Dominion forces moving away from the dig site, blocking off the combined assault force. _I can make it!_

Then, a pair of dropships bearing the Hellhounds logo glided onto the scene, their engine ports adjusting to lower the craft toward the rolling hills. Both dropships' bay doors opened, and from one of them raced out six hellions, and from the other one, a huge, blocky machine was unloaded and fell to the ground.

_What the hell is that? _Charlotte thought, unease tensing her stomach. The huge square machine started to unfold, a pair of thick, hand-less arms snapping away from the body. Huge gun barrels stuck out of the arms, a dull red glow lighting up in the barrels' depths. Then the blocky machine rose on two squat legs, raising itself to full height. Lastly, a battery of long-barreled guns unfolded on the machine's back, and the whole thing turned toward the road and began marching heavily forward.

"Thor!" Charlotte shouted. "Evade its cannons!"

At the same time, the six hellions raced to intercept Charlotte's team, their flamethrowers swiveling to aim at Charlotte's team. As the two dropships lifted off into the air with a blast of exhaust jets, the hellions opened fire. Charlotte twisted her steering wheel hard to the left, tires screeching on the road. A long jet of flame shot through the air where Charlotte had been, the flames grazing the rear of her hellion. _That's going to ruin the paint job, _Charlotte winced. The rest of her squad broke formation, racing every which way to avoid the flames of the incoming hellions. Accelerating in a tight circle, Charlotte moved her crosshairs onto an opposing hellion, and as soon as her HUD confirmed a lock, she squeezed her trigger. Five autocannon shells roared out of her turret, and the shells hissed through the warm afternoon air. The targeted hellion's armor buckled and screeched as Charlotte's shells tore into the vehicle, sparks and smoke pouring from the point of impact. The hellion's engine whined as it was nearly shoved onto its side from the kinetic force, but the pilot expertly wrenched his vehicle back onto all four wheels and raced off, escaping Charlotte's firing range.

Nearby, one other opposing hellion twisted and skidded awkwardly as flames from one of Charlotte's hellions burned away its front tires. The enemy hellion's rear tires whirred at top speed, grinding away at the soft earth in vain as the hellion's ruined front only plowed into the ground. Getting a hard lock, Charlotte unleashed her four short-range missiles, and the trapped hellion vanished in a fireball, chunks of neosteel armor flying everywhere.

One of Charlotte's Vulture bikes exploded suddenly, an enemy hellion's fire jet torching its vulnerable fuel tank. Charlotte gritted her teeth, realizing that the enemy hellions plus the Thor outnumbered her small squad. "Break off!" she demanded. "Head for the dig site! As long as one of us makes it, then it's worth it."

The two Vultures and other hellion left in Charlotte's team raced away from the enemy forces, forcing the hostile hellions to pursue them. Charlotte took the lead, her engine whining loudly as she pushed her scout vehicle to its limits, her eyes set on the looming dig site. _Just a little... more!_

Then, a violent eruption on the road ahead blasted smoke, dirt, and chunks of pavement everywhere, forcing Charlotte to swerve around the newly-formed crater. Another and another blast shuddered the ground, and Charlotte checked her radar. Up ahead stood the Thor, and Charlotte realized that in the battle against the hellions, she had lost track of the Thor. _I let the damn thing cut me off! _She realized, berating herself. _I have to get around its guns or that artifact is forever lost._

The Thor's arms tracked Charlotte's hellion, each arm recoiling as powerful blasts were fired from its guns. More explosions ripped the ground apart, and Charlotte aimed for the smoke and dirt clouds, hoping to elude the Thor in the smoke screen. She couldn't find her squadmates on her radar, but at this point she had to worry about herself as the Thor's shots continued to hammer the ground.

Breaking free of a smoke cloud, Charlotte got a lock on the Thor and let loose, hoping to stun the pilot to give herself a chance to escape. Her autocannon's shells rattled against the Thor's thick torso armor, chipping off red and black-painted plating. Her four missiles streaked through the air, shoving the Thor back with a quartet of vivid detonations. Charlotte swerved in a wide arc around the Thor, hoping against hope that she'd get away.

The Thor turned on the spot, faster than Charlotte expected. Its left gun spat out another deadly bolt, and Charlotte felt her whole hellion tremble and quake as the shot nearly hit it. Hanging on to her steering wheel for dear life, Charlotte felt her stomach squirm in terror as her hellion was thrown off its tires by the explosion. The hellion smashed sideways onto the ground, rolling like a barrel until it came to a half on its side, the tires spinning uselessly in the open air.

_No! Damn it! _Charlotte's head throbbed from her head getting thrown around in the cockpit and her ears rang from the deafening crashes and tumbles, but she still fumbled with the controls, first cutting power to the engine and then snapping open her cockpit. Tearing off her seat belt, Charlotte sprawled onto the open grass, feeling aches and small cuts all over her body. She tore her helmet off her head, dropping it to the ground as she crawled toward the dig site, her vision hazy. _No... Miranda gave me a mission... get your mission done, Charlotte... _She knew that the Thor and hellions would be on her any second, and she's be fried on the spot.

_En taro Tassadar! _Boomed Azaru's triumphant voice in her head. Her head spinning, Charlotte looked up, wondering what Azaru was yelling about. Then, she shook her head free and craned her head up, then her jaw dropped at the sight. Gleaming gold and shaped like some alien sea monster, Azaru's Carrier, the _Epiphany of Light_, floated right over the _Dire Wolf_, hundreds of interceptor drones buzzing through the air like angry hornets. Clouds of purple lasers peppered the _Dire Wolf _from the interceptors' guns, causing countless small explosions to rattle the Battlecruiser from bow to stern.

The _Dire Wolf _quickly returned fire, its turrets' lasers hammering the _Epiphany of Light_'s shields, causing the shields to flicker and sputter in protest. Still, the Carrier held firm for the moment, and its presence took the pressure off Miranda's Hellhounds. Along with the _Epiphany of Light _flew a small squadron of pointy silver craft with rotating hulls, and the craft stabbed the _Dire Wolf _with focused beams of dark blue energy, the beams slowly thickening as the craft kept up their fire.

_Nick, _Charlotte thought with exhaustion. _What is going on?_

_Azaru decided to use his ship after all, _Nick said excitedly. _He figured that it's worth the risk if the _Dire Wolf _itself is going to fight here. And I think it's working! I can read the minds of the Dominion's commanders, and they're terrified. I dunno if we can completely route the Dominion and Xavier's Hellhounds, but we've got our chance. I can sense your location. I'm coming._

Charlotte let out a confused laugh. _You what?_

_Just hang on. You're completing your mission no matter what. Azaru's men will cover me._

_Well, aren't you the hero today?_

_Just let me prove it._

Feeling numb with combined shock and relief, Charlotte flopped onto her back, checking the Thor and enemy hellions. To her further relief, Charlotte saw the remaining members of her squad, racing around in a confusing pattern to keep the enemy Hellhounds forces busy. _My men are still keeping me safe, _Charlotte realized.

A minute later, another dropship roared onto the scene, bearing the Hellhounds logo on its wings. As it lowered itself toward Charlotte's ruined hellion, Charlotte saw Nick standing in the open bay, extending his hand. _Get on board! _Nick mentally shouted over the din. _I'm getting you to the dig site to finish your mission._

Feeling strength returning to her arms and legs, Charlotte ran to the waiting dropship, taking a running leap into the hangar. She seized Nick's hand, and her psionic friend hoisted her further into the ship's bay. At once, the craft raised itself into the sky again, gliding toward the dig site.

Quick on the upkeep, two Dominion Vikings swooped onto the scene, torpedoes streaking out of their guns. Charlotte gripped a handhold tight as the dropship shook and groaned from the explosions, and the engines whined and sputtered against the strain. "We can't shake them!" Charlotte shouted in panic. Nick stared at the Vikings numbly, his hair ruffled by the winds.

Electric blue bolts streaked out of nowhere, slicing into the Vikings. Two organic fighter planes intercepted the Vikings, their golden hulls and crystalline blue wings marking them as Protoss fighters. The Vikings broke off from their attack pattern, trying to elude the Protoss newcomers. However, the smaller but nimble Protoss fighters kept on the Vikings' tails, more blue bolts firing from their hulls. One Viking's engine ports took the laser bolts head-on, the beams melting apart the engines' inner workings. Internal explosions rocked the Viking, and the Terran fighter tumbled out of control, spiraling toward the ground with a trail of dark smoke leaking from its ruined engines.

The other Viking caught the Protoss fighter on its flank, torpedoes smashing against the fighter. The Protoss fighter's shields fizzled and sputtered as the torpedoes' explosions overwhelmed them, but the shield-stripped fighter managed to break away, eluding the Viking's firing range. The other Protoss fighter corkscrewed up through the air, landing a shot onto the Viking's exposed cockpit. Charlotte winced as the Viking's pilot was no doubt vaporized, and the craft dropped from the sky, crashing into the ground below. _Right in the cockpit, _Charlotte thought. _That's rough, but we needed the help._

_You are clear, _came the mental voice of the Protoss fighter's pilot. _Get that artifact, and then we are all leaving. Prepare your dropships and we will meet in orbit. Once you get on board the _Fenris_, both it and the _Epiphany of Light _can make a jump to friendly space._

_Roger that, _Charlotte saluted. She turned to Nick. "Did you catch that?"

"Yeah," Nick grinned. "We've got a home run to –" He was cut off as Charlotte threw herself onto him, holding his head tight as she pressed her lips warmly against his. Charlotte broke off a few seconds after that, her heart hammering excitedly.

"What... what was that?" Nick asked breathlessly, lightly touching his lower lip.

"Oh, I dunno," Charlotte laughed as she nervously held her hands behind her back. "I just felt like doing it. I'm in a good mood for some reason."

"Well, now I am too," Nick commented with a self-conscious laugh.

*o*o*o*o*

Thankfully, the _Epiphany of Light _and its fighter escorts kept the Dominion and Xavier's Hellhounds busy long enough for Charlotte's dropship to land swiftly at the dig site, and the armed Hellhounds troops in the dropship quickly stormed the main office building. Charlotte joined the assault with just her pistol, but only a few guards stood between her and a secured steel door.

"Just a sec," a Hellhounds Reaper said smugly, detaching an explosive mine from his belt and setting it on the door. Everyone ducked for cover in the other room as the thick door was blasted off its hinges. Charlotte and the others hesitantly crowded through the empty door frame and found themselves in a hangar where several Dominion workers were in the middle of loading a crate onto a transport truck.

"Stop there!" Charlotte demanded, leveling her pistol at the workers, who all froze and shot their hands into the air at the sight of the weapon. Charlotte kept her weapon trained on the workers as she walked to the crate, snapping it open with one hand. A fist-sized blue and purple crystal formation gleamed on a red cushion inside the crate. Charlotte looked up at the dockworkers. "Is this the artifact? This crystal?"

The nearest man nodded and swallowed hard. "I-it is. I don't know how it works, but that's the real deal. But you're not getting away with this!"

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, training her pistol directly on the man. "I came too far to hear crap like that," she snapped. Her fellow Hellhounds soldiers raised their weapons too. "I'm taking this artifact, and you all can live. That's all there is to it."

The man nodded shakily. "Fine."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Cave network, Melshass,**_

_**Koprulu Sector, Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 10, 2504**_

Luckily, Trevor had never been the claustrophobic type, and he led the way through the cool, damp cave network without so much as a twinge of anxiety. Still, as he swept his body-mounted floodlights across endless stalactites, branching roads, and deep pits, Trevor couldn't hep but wonder if his plan was about to backfire. His cybernetic ally-enhanced brain showed that he and his fourteen teammates had entered these caves 15 hours, 34 minutes, and 52 seconds ago and there was still no trace of an exit close to the Zerg main hive.

_Now it's 15 hours, 35 minutes, _Trevor grumbled to himself as he rounded another corner and found yet another split in the road; the left path was narrow and turned sharply, while the right one was wide and straight. But then again, the left path led closer to the general area of the Zerg give. But would the bulky marines and Marauders even fit in the narrower tunnel?

"You know what, we're taking the right path," Trevor commented out loud, marching into the wider tunnel. His booted feet crunched on small, loose rocks and sent their pieces skittering away. "Who knows, it might lead back to the right area we want to reach."

"I used to get claustrophobia," one marine said nervously, checking the cave walls with his Gauss rifle's floodlight. "Did I ever mention that?"

"No, and it's not relevant now," Trevor snapped, finally losing his patience. "We're committed to this plan and we're carrying it out! Everyone maintain radio silence unless something critical comes up."

Fifteen minutes and 45 seconds later, a Marauder pointed up ahead. "Look at that!"

"Maintain silence," Trevor grated.

"No, really," the Marauder insisted. "Is that... creep?"

If Trevor had a stomach left, it would have squirmed with excitement as the Reaper broke out into a dash, the rest of his squad hurrying to catch up. Trevor's floodlights illuminated a slimy, pulsating mass of gray-green flesh that seemed to ooze out from the cave walls like mold, and Trevor impatiently popped out a small bio-scanner probe built into his left wrist and stabbed its needle into the mass with a wet _pop_. Data flooded across Trevor's vision and he nodded, pulling out his probe and withdrawing it. "It's creep. We've got to be close!"

"What do we do?" a marine asked.

Trevor took a few steps back, his hand falling to a mine on his belt. "It's what _I _will do," he stated. "Get back! I'm giving us an exit." He hurled the mine at the creep mass, the mine latching onto the fleshy wall with its countdown beeps growing faster and faster. Trevor and the others scampered around a corner, covering their ears just in time. A floor-shuddering boom rocked the cave, the sound echoing harshly off the confining rock walls. More satisfyingly, a loud wet bursting sound marked the destruction of the creep mass, and when Trevor rounded the corner to check his handiwork, narrow shafts of sunlight glowed through the new hole in the wall.

"This way!" Drawing his pistols, Trevor took the lead, leaping headfirst through the cave wall and out into the jungle, where sunlight poked through the dense canopy. At once, the torrent of jungle sounds filled Trevor's ears, and the sudden damp, fresh air invigorated the Reaper. Two marines hauled forth the bulky nuclear bomb as fast as they could, while Trevor found a patch of more creep on the forest floor. Trevor knelt by it, tracing a finger over the organic surface. "We're still on the right track," he called over his shoulder. "Follow me!"

More and more creep started to coat the forest floor, and Trevor could actually smell the scent of hundreds of Zerg bodies waiting in the foliage, thanks to the implants in his organic head and neck. A nearby bush rustled and a dog-like zergling erupted from the leaves, a loud cry filling the air. Trevor kicked out a booted foot, his foot smashing into the zergling's mouth and knocking out several sharp teeth. The zergling squealed and drew back, but Trevor snapped out his pistol and fed three rounds into the monster's forehead, causing it to collapse in death.

"Charge!" Trevor roared as the foliage suddenly came alive with Zerg. Massive armored roaches pulled themselves out from the ground, dirt and loose vines falling off their armored backs as they rose. Hydralisks dropped from the trees, their scythe arms outstretched and their jaws wide. Countless zerglings emerged from the underbrush, loosing an alien chorus of hunger and rage.

Pumped by the sight of so many targets, Trevor fired up his Nitro jet packs and arced forward over the creep, his pistols firing in every direction. One charging zergling after another took Trevor's bullets and fell over, while the roaches sheltered their head like turtles and let the bullets bounce off their armor plates. Hydralisks flexed their shoulders, filling the air with thousands of organic spines that tore through the foliage. The rest of the cyborg soldiers pushed through the Zerg waves, their Gauss rifles, Punisher grenades, flamethrowers, and Scythe pistols peppering the Zerg with fire.

"Keep going!" Trevor shouted over the din. Kicking aside a wounded hydralisk, he beheld a huge pulsating mound that leaked creep from its pores, almost like a creep generator. _Wait. Umojan intel warned of "tumors" that can spread creep. Destroy it, and the creep loses its sustenance and dies off! _He stomped a foot on the tumor, his strong mechanical leg punching right through the tumor's membrane. Green and yellow sludge oozed from the wound, and Trevor wrinkled his nose at the smell, feeding one pistol round after another into the wound. The tumor shriveled and fell flat like a dying plant, and the surrounding creep began to sizzle and turn ashen gray, withering faster and faster.

"Hit the tumors!" Trevor yelled, noting how the Zerg seemed to run faster across the creep's surface. He kicked off with his foot and boosted himself into the air again with his jet packs, finding another creep tumor sitting near a wide tree. Just like with the first tumor, Trevor tore into the second one and filled it with lead, watching the creep layer start to dissolve. The rest of his team caught up a minute later, with Zerg still hot on their heels. However, without the creep to speed them up, the Zerg found themselves slowed down by the thick foliage, often getting stuck in vines or dense bushes before breaking themselves free. Feeling like he was on a roll, Trevor led his squad deeper into Zerg territory, guiding his men to the tumors and destroying them.

"The main hive has got to be close," a marine commented after his rifle drove back an injured roach. "There's more and more tumors here."

"Right." Trevor raised his pistols again, fending off a zergling. "Get ready to set that bomb! Don't lose focus."

In the near distance, the loud cracking of a breaking tree caught everyone's attention, and a deep, booming roar made the whole forest go silent. Another tree split apart as something huge rapidly plowed its way through the forest, and then the massive hulking creature broke free of a tree line and confronted the cyborg army.

"Ultralisk!" a marine shouted as the Zerg monster came into view. He raised his rifle and emptied his magazine on the ultralisk's head and shoulders, but the bullets merely bounced off the beast's carapace, leaving only scratches and dents. Pawing the ground with its clawed foot, the ultralisk bowed its head and charged like a bull, its gigantic scythe arms poised for the kill. Trevor and the other Reapers took to the air, landing on top of a tree's branches for cover. The other cyborgs weren't as lucky; the ultralisk smashed aside a marine, its huge blades cleaving the cyborg in half. The marine's two halves tumbled to a stop in the bushes, sparks and gear fluid leaking from his severed halves. Zerglings rushed into the hapless marine, their jaws tearing into his organic head and neck.

"Bastard!" Trevor hurled another mine right in the ultralisk's path, and the massive monster recoiled as the mine's explosion flooded its face with fire. "Move! Now! While it's distracted!" He leaped to a nearby tree branch, his powerful robotic legs letting him spring farther than an organic human's legs could. The other cyborg soldiers scampered away from the stunned ultralisk, but more zerglings and hydralisks crept out of the foliage, determined to stop the Terran squad in its tracks. Bloated banelings rolled onto the scene as well, daring the Terrans to come any closer.

"I've got this," another Reaper told his commander, hurling a mine as the banelings and zerglings made a headlong rush. The mine landed at the roots of a wide tree, and the explosion nearly tore the tree off at its base, causing it to lean toward the Zerg, its wood creaking and snapping. Catching on, a Marauder raised his arm and launched one Punisher grenade. The second explosion blasted the tree free of its base, and the huge trunk fell flat like a roadblock that the zerglings and banelings crashed into. The Zerg monsters chittered in confusion, trying to scrabble up the slippery, moss and dew-coated trunk barrier.

However, the ultralisk rampaged through the forest and swung out its blades, catching a Marauder right on the chest. The armored soldier was sent flying through the air, crashing into a tree with terrific force. His armor cracked and his mechanical body shattered, his pieces falling to the forest floor.

"Run! We're nearly there!" Trevor ordered, and he was not wrong: fighting his way past a few more pockets of Zerg, he found himself in a wide clearing where a towering, conical organic building loomed. Hundreds of green, armored Zerg eggs lay across the creep around the hatchery, while several hulking queens lumbered around the hive area, tending to the eggs and newly-hatched zerglings. Several more creep tumors lay scattered in the area, and several bulky, slow-moving overlords hovered around in wide patrol routes, their multiple eyes wary for intruders.

The two marines with the nuclear bomb heaved their payload onto the edge of the hive cluster, looking to Trevor for instructions. "I'll carry it," Trevor told them. "I'm faster with my jetpacks. Everyone will cover me! It's time to end this."

Taking hold of the bomb's handholds, Trevor fired up his jet packs to maximum thrust, and he felt himself slowly rise from the creep-covered ground with the bomb tight in his hands. Three hydralisks slithered close by, flinging volleys of their spines at Trevor, the needles hissing through the air. A cyborg firebat hurried over, his flames pushing back the hydralisks. Meanwhile, the rest of the cyborgs held back the Zerg as Trevor soared past the overlords, aware that the queens would fire their anti-air spines any moment now. _Let this work, let this work, _Trevor repeated in his mind as the wind ruffled his hair. _This is our last chance! _He released one hand from the nuke, his other arm straining to hold up the heavy machine. Punching the activation code into the nuke's control panel, Trevor grinned fiercely as the panel's lights switched from green to red, and a countdown timer popped up on the screen. _Here we go!_

Thick needles hissed through the air all around Trevor, and he gasped in surprise as a few queen needles tore into his shoulder, breaking the synthetic fibers and cords that powered his right arm. His right arm shut down, the hand slipping off the nuke's handhold. Grimacing, Trevor kept his grip with his left arm, but the arm creaked and groaned in protest. Meanwhile, far below, the massive ultralisk rampaged across the hive cluster, waiting for Trevor to fall into its grip. Knowing better than to lose his other arm, Trevor flung the nuke as hard as he could, letting it fall in an arc toward the looming hatchery. He suddenly lifted higher into the air with the nuke's weight gone.

Whirling around, Trevor shot through the air at maximum speed, praying that his fuel reserves would hold out. Tapping into the cybernetic battle channel, Trevor shouted, "Head back to the caves! That's our best chance for cover! Double time!"

Sensing the sudden danger at the hatchery, almost every Zerg creature in the area scampered toward the hatchery, smelling the nuke that as now sitting next to the hatchery's walls. Taking advantage of that, Trevor and the surviving cyborgs pushed back through the forest where they had come from, aware that the nuke only had 10 minutes until detonation. Through the tattered jungle they went, until the cave's makeshift opening came back into view and the cyborgs leaped through it. Leading the way, Trevor scampered deeper into the cave network, trying to find the deepest area with the thickest walls.

A sudden earthquake was the only physical sign Trevor found of the nuke's detonation, but there was no mistaking it. The countdown timer on his vision showed 00:00, and he could only imagine the thousands of Zerg creatures being vaporized by the blast, and the hatchery being torched into cinders.

A marine slumped against the wall, relief evident on his face. "We did it, didn't we?"

"That we did," Trevor announced. "Only thing left to do is find a good signal area to alert the dropship get off this rock. I think we've outstayed our welcome."


	20. Chapter 19

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 19**

_**Brig, Battlecruiser **_**Fenris****_,_**

_**Umoja orbit, Umojan Protectorate**_

_**January 12, 2505**_

Nick knew without a doubt that he and the rest of Miranda's Hellhounds had scored a major victory by stealing the alien artifact from the Dominion dig site. The _Dire Wolf _and the other Dominion forces had retreated quick and easy, and Azaru swore loyalty to Miranda until the civil war between her and Xavier Daniels was resolved. The _Fenris _had retreated to Umojan space for some repairs and everyone in Miranda's army was fully committed to the cause. But there was still one outstanding issue.

Marie.

"She is resilient, to be sure," Azaru commented, folding his arms as he gave the captive Marie a sidelong look. Nick looked too. Strapped by metal cuffs to a flat neo-steel bed, Marie the sniper lay flat on her back, clad in light gray prisoner's clothing. She stared defiantly at the ceiling, refusing to meet the gaze of Nick, Azaru, or the other Hellhounds commanders and Protoss assembled in the room.

Miranda rubbed her forehead, resisting a sigh. "You haven't gotten anything out of her?" she asked Nick again. "You said that you mentally detected her giving messages to Xavier Daniels, proving that she was a double agent. But you can't get into her mind?"

Nick gestured helplessly. "It's weird, ma'am. By what I hear, many telepaths are easy to target with psionic powers, but Marie's different. Her mind is an iron shell! Azaru and I have been trying to break in, but no luck."

"But you read her mind during the battle. How could you read her then but not now?" Miranda persisted.

"The strain of the battle and her duty must have lowered Marie's barriers," Nick figured. "Every psionic is different. Marie has mental barriers that are very uncommon. Just our luck that she's a special case."

Miranda narrowed her eyes. "That's enough, Nick. I want you and Azaru to try again. It's vital that we find out everything she knows! Physical torture will get us nowhere. Get in her brain."

Nick swallowed, balling his hands into fists as he turned to the stoically silent double agent. "Ready, Azaru?"

"Yes." The Protoss commander placed two fingers to his temple, wisps of light blue curling from his skin. "Join me. We begin!"

*o*o*o*o*

Not for the first time, Nick let go of his physical shell and released his mind into the ethereal realm of pisonics. His psychic body resembled his real one, save for a faint glow that radiated from him. Next to him materialized the petite Azaru, the Protoss' body giving off a similar glow. They stood in absolute darkness, but their feet rested on a flat, unseen floor. Both men walked forward in this familiar realm, leaving behind glowing white footprints. Before long, a vast, multi-colored dome came into view, gigantic and imposing.

"This again," Nick commented, rapping his knuckles on the shimmering dome surface. From where his skin met the dome, ripples of color and whispered voices radiated but the dome's membrane held steady. Azaru reached out and gently clapped his four-fingered hand to the surface, then pressed hard. Jumbled voices and sounds babbled from the membrane, and Nick caught various words but couldn't make out any real meaning from them.

"These memories hold firm," Azaru commented, leaning his head closer to look at the membrane. "This Terran woman's entire life is defying us. Her memories from birth to only moments ago block us."

"Yeah, I know," Nick pursed his lips. He drew back his fist. "Work with me here."

Azaru took a step back. "What are you -"

Nick slammed his fist into the membrane, and he winced as shouted voices thudded against his eardrums. Baring his teeth, he swung his other fist on the same spot, and again the membrane rippled but did not give. "Help me here!" Nick bellowed over the loud voices. "I've had enough games. It's time for brute force!"

"It is an option worth pursuing," Azaru shrugged, then snapped out his fist on the same spot, resulting in another burst of color and voices. Azaru's leg lashed out and his foot smashed into the focus point, and this time, the membrane split and formed a tiny seam. Encouraged, Nick kicked the seam, splitting it wider like it was a sheet of rubber. Azaru landed one final blow and the membrane ripped open, admitting a blinding shaft of white light. Both Nick and Azaru felt themselves getting drawn in, as though they were carried in the currents of a river...

"It's a girl!" a doctor declared while medical equipment beeped and nurses bustled around a woman lying in a hospital bed. Nick and Azaru stared dumbfounded, no one else seeming to notice them. A small, pink baby bawled in the doctor's hands, cradled in a white towel. A dark-haired woman reached out her arms and accepted her child, her expression radiant. Next to her sat a man in a suit who shared the woman's smile.

"You did it," the man said gently as he kissed the woman's forehead. "Did you decide on a name?"

"I did, Mark," the woman said, her eyes not leaving her child. "She will be Marie. That's a cute name."

"Marie," the man repeated.

Nick got a good look at the mother and father, and both indeed looked a lot like Marie. "These are her parents," he said to Azaru. "This is Marie being born!"

"The earliest events of anyone's life," Azaru nodded. "But this does not help us. We need to find the information that the adult Marie is hiding from us."

Nick made a non-committal noise, peeking a the doctor's clipboard papers. According to the paper, this was a hospital on Tarsonis, on October 14th, 2479. The latter years of the Terran Confederacy.

Then, a sudden tingle made Nick jump and whirl around. Many people rushed back and forth in the hospital, but one of them was definitely the adult Marie, clad in her combat suit. "There she is!" Nick shouted, rushing to the room's door. "Follow her!"

Azaru scrambled to the door frame and followed Nick down the hallway, bumping past people and squeezing through the crowds. Nick pressed through the people as fast as he could, not taking his eyes off the back of Marie's head. She turned a corner and Nick bolted after her, following her down a strangely dark hallway where there was no light. Then, he felt himself getting swept away again...

The air was suddenly chilly, and Nick squinted against the headlights of dozens of cars that were pulling up in the parking lot of a dance hall. Crickets chirped in the background and stars shone overhead, but hundreds of excited teenagers exited their cars and made their way to the dance hall, all of them going in pairs: the boys in suits, the girls in various-colored gowns.

Azaru looked this way and that. "What is this?"

"A prom night," Nick realized, overhearing snatches of excited conversations. Dance music hummed from the building's interior. "Marie must be around here somewhere. Wow, we jumped pretty far ahead in her life."

"The mind of a Protoss is strong," Azaru commented. "I can get us through this mental maze faster, but we have to hurry. Marie's mind might reject our presences if we delay."

"Yeah," Nick shivered, scanning the crowds. "Where is... there!"

The 18-year-old dark-haired Marie got out of a sleek red sports car, her hair tied up in a bun with a silvery tiara. She wore a dark red gown and had her arm wrapped around that of a boy with a white suit and shocking blond hair.

"This is going to be so much fun, Richard," the teenaged Marie glowed as she and the boy joined the crowds. "I'm so excited to be here!"

"Huh," Nick figured, planting his fists on his hips. "I've never seen Marie show any emotions before. How weird."

"Focus!" Azaru snapped. "We know nothing about Marie, her personal history or her current motives. We have to investigate right away!"

Jolted back into action, Nick pushed his way through the crowds, surprising everyone he shoved aside. He saw Marie and her boyfriend slip in through the dance hall's front doors, but a long line blocked Nick and Azaru from getting in.

"There is not time for this," Azaru growled, stomping toward the wall. He drew back his fist, bashing his foot into the brick surface. With a blast of mingled bricks, wisps of colors, and a cacophony of disembodied voices, the brick wall crumbled away and a hole formed, big enough to admit Nick and Azaru. The Terran and Protoss climbed through the hole, finding themselves right in the middle of the ball room. Hundreds of high schoolers danced and milled about in the semi-dark room while lights flashed on the ceiling and loud pop music boomed from hidden speakers.

"She could be anywhere in here," Nick fretted, scanning the crowds. "The adult Marie, I mean. She was there at the hospital, after all."

Azaru did not reply, but instead flitted through the mass of people, his glowing eyes searching the facial features of each and every one. "Many Terrans look alike," he commented. "I find it unnerving."

"All _Protoss _look alike," Nick grinned back. "At least Terrans have hair color for distinction."

"I suppose," Azaru relented, then he whipped his head to the side, his glowing eyes widening. He jabbed a long finger at someone. "There!"

"I see her!" Nick pushed past the high school dancers, nearly knocking a few of them to the dance floor as he made his way toward the adult Marie clad in her sniper uniform. She made her way toward one of the exits, but Azaru was one step ahead. The short zealot slipped through the crowds to cut her off, but he was stymied when four high school boys crowded into Azaru's way. Azaru, in his haste, swept his leg to knock over the boys. To his shock, however, the four seniors blocked the kick and threw Azaru to the floor, sending the Protoss sprawling.

"Damn it!" Nick shoved aside a girl and pounced after Marie, but three senior boys blocked him, their fists driving him to the ground. _How are these kids so strong? And what's their problem with us anyway? Wait... these are Marie's defensive memories. These kids must be like a psychic immune system!_

"Azaru!" Nick hollered. "Just kill them! These kids are only defensive agents of Marie's memories. Unleash yourself!"

A second later, Azaru sprang to his feet, bunching up his muscles and igniting the twin psi blades mounted on his wrists. With a flash of color, Azaru swept his blades through the kids, splitting them into half. Instead of blood or smoking flesh, however, torrents of random images and voices spilled from the kids' bodies. Remembering his physical training, Nick jabbed his fist at a kid's chin, lifting the formally dressed boy off his feet. With a kick, Nick bashed aside another kid, then slipped past the third boy and hurried toward the exit. Azaru barreled past the crowds, leaping after the retreating Marie. Just as Marie, Nick, and Azaru all tumbled into the exit in a heap, blackness enveloped the scene and Nick felt himself getting carried into the mental currents yet again...

"Welcome to the team," spoke a familiar woman when Nick tumbled out of the darkness. The fleeing Marie was nowhere in sight, but Azaru materialized by Nick's side and got to his feet. Nick realized that he was standing in a recruitment office, and judging by what he saw out the windows, this scene took place on Umoja itself. Miranda stood tall in her Hellhounds uniform, shaking Marie's hand.

"I'm prepared for our first contract anytime," said another woman, an adult Marie clad in civilian clothes. She had two large duffel bags by her feet. "I look forward to fighting with the Hellhounds."

_So this was when Marie joined the Hellhounds, _Nick realized, checking the calendar on the wall: December 2503, a recent memory indeed. But where was the uniformed Marie that Nick needed to catch? This office was small and only the recruited Marie, Miranda, Nick, and Azaru were in here.

"We cannot afford to lose her," Azaru said grimly, scoping the office. "Perhaps she is elsewhere in this facility?"

"I dunno," Nick muttered as Miranda and Marie turned to face him. "I think we have problems right here!"

Both Marie and Miranda pounced, catching Nick and Azaru off-guard and pinning them to the floor. Nick struggled under Miranda's weight, but she seemed both heavier and denser than normal, easily trapping Nick to the tiled floor. Worse, Miranda drew a combat knife from her leg sheath, raising it for the killing blow.

"Nick!" Azaru grunted and threw Marie off of him, scrambling forth and seizing Miranda's wrist. The zealot wrenched Miranda's arm away, but the Hellhounds commander pulled back with stupendous strength, tossing Azaru back to the floor. Panicking, Nick pulled himself out from under Miranda but was too slow to stop the woman from thrusting her knife blade at him. Marie scrambled over to help pin Nick down, but that gave Nick an idea. Seizing Marie's shoulder, Nick pulled Marie's arm into the path of the knife at the last second, and Marie howled as the sharp metal bit into her flesh.

Azaru sprang to his feet. "Excellent!" he boomed, blazing his psi blades back on. With a single swipe, he severed Miranda's head, which thunked grimly to the floor like a dropped bowling ball. With one more fluid motion, Azaru slashed his blades across Marie's chest, and she slumped to the floor in defeat.

"Where's the other Marie?" Nick demanded, towering over the wounded woman.

Marie chuckled. "Fine, you've got me. Here." She bolted to her feet, clutching at her face. To Nick and Azaru's shock, Marie actually split her skin off like a zipper, but as Marie tore the rest of her skin off, a second Marie emerged, clad in her sniper uniform. Tossing the shed skin aside, Marie stood tall and put a hand on her curvy hips. "Figures that you need a Protoss to help you, Nick."

"Well, I'm still learning the ropes of psionics," Nick defended himself. "Enough of your memories. Tell me everything you know."

"Fine, but I -" Marie started, but she gasped in shock when the whole office fell away in pieces, leaving only a gaping blackness. All three people stood on a hard, unseen floor, patches of light shining where their feet rested on the surface.

"My... memories!" Marie blurted, frantically looking around. "Where did they go?"

"Agent XG-2245-9R, named Marie," boomed a deep man's voice, and the huge image of Arcturus Mengsk from the shoulders up appeared, towering over the two Terrans and zealot. "It is your mission to infiltrate the Umojan Protectorate to spy on them in these delicate times. I hear that the Umojans are creating a mercenary army called the Hellhounds. Join them as a sniper specialist, but do not reveal your true nature as a Ghost of the Dominion."

Nick gaped. "Is that another memory?"

"Yes," Marie said fearfully, "but I can't remember anything else!" She clutched at her head, falling to her knees. "My mind... is crumbling!" Around her, thousands of images whirled past, a torrent of voices ringing in Nick's ears. The vortex of images and sounds rose higher into the darkness and vanished far above.

Then it all made sense.

"Those memories were false!" Nick realized. "Ghosts have memory wipes, don't they? I've heard the tales. You've had your real life memories overwritten, have you?"

The giant Mengsk continued, "I salvaged you from the Confederate Ghost program and made you into a better agent, Marie. Show me that my invested efforts were worth the trouble."

"Yes... it's true," Marie said feebly as the giant Mengsk faded from sight. "Nick, listen. I remember what Xavier Daniels told me. The _Dire Wolf_'s engines were damaged in the battle and it's at a shipyard space station orbiting a small Dominion world named Junction. It has one other Battlecruiser to defend it, but when it's repaired, Daniels plans to invade Umoja and capture its leaders in order to get the upper hand on Miranda."

"Then it's obvious what to do," Nick announced. "Show me exactly where the _Dire Wolf _is. Miranda's Hellhounds can capture it and end this feud for good."

*o*o*o*o*

Nick gasped as his mind seeped back into his physical body, blinking in the light of the confinement room as Azaru returned to his body as well. Miranda looked at him apprehensively. "Well? Did you get anything?" she asked.

"Everything," Nick said, trying not to shake. "Xavier Daniels can't run from us this time. I'll tell you everything."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Briefing room, Umojan Cyborg Institute, Umoja,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**January 14, 2505**_

"It appears that the mission was a complete success," praised Dr. Julie Hanson in the Cyborg Institute's briefing room, her eyes on several paper files she held in her hands. All the surviving members of Trevor's squad stood at attention for their debriefing, having just returned from their mission to Melshass. Most of the cyborgs still had acid burns and hydralisk spine scratches on their armor, but none of them were complaining. They'd get armor replacements very soon.

"So the entire Zerg colony has been wiped out?" Trevor double-checked. _I never leave a job half-done._

"Correct." Hanson set down the papers on a table and heaved a sigh. "I hate to throw you all back into the fire so soon, but something's come up."

"Nothing I can't handle," Trevor declared, marveling that he didn't feel the faintest fatigue after his mission.

Dr. Julie Hanson gave him a hard look. "Listen to me. Minister Jorgensen has contacted me. He was given a message by Miranda that her Hellhounds are going to make a move very soon. Xavier Daniel's ship, the _Dire Wolf_, is in orbit around a small planet named Junction for repairs. Miranda, along with her Protoss allies, plan to assault the Battlecruiser and capture its commanders."

Confused murmurs filled the room, but Trevor spoke up. "Protoss allies?"

"It seems that Miranda has befriended a Protoss commander who has a carrier," Dr. Hanson explained. "I wasn't given all the details, but I know this: I'm assigning your squad, Trevor, to help Miranda recapture the other half of the Hellhounds mercenary army. Getting that army back together is essential to the Umojan Protectorate. Jorgensen is considering limiting the Hellhounds' possible contracts to only Umojan clients if the army is re-united. If we somehow survive this Zerg invasion, the Hellhounds will be free to work for whoever they want."

"But for now, we've all got our target," Trevor summarized. "Xavier Daniels and his officers. Just send me to Miranda, and you'll get your results, Doctor."

"This will be different than your mission to Melshass," Hanson warned. "A capture mission on board a Battlecruiser will require fineness. Try not to destroy and kill everything you find."

"Of course, Doctor," Trevor saluted. "I'm on the job."


	21. Chapter 20

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**A/N:** By now, the plot of this story is pretty much developed, so action will tell the rest of the story. There will be a non-violent final chapter to wrap things up, however.

**Chapter 20**

_**Briefing room, Battlecruiser **_**Fenris****_,_**

_**Umoja orbit, Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**January 16, 2505**_

Not for the first time, all the commanders of the Hellhounds aboard the _Fenris _gathered and stood at attention, but this time Charlotte felt excitement and anxiety bubbling in her gut as Miranda cleared her throat to talk. _No more running or tricks. This time, Xavier Daniels will be dealt with permanently!_

"As you all know, the _Dire Wolf _has been damaged from the battle on Heralt and is orbiting a world called Junction for repairs," Miranda began. Behind her stood Azaru and several of his high templar officers, all of whom stood tall with their hands clasped behind their backs. "We are going to take the offensive to our enemies for a change, and we have Azaru's complete support, and that of the Raging Spades infantry division."

Outside the briefing room's large windows, Charlotte could see the elegant golden Carrier ship floating nearby, silent and still. She wished that she and the other Hellhounds could carry out an operation on board the _Epiphany of Light_, but when Miranda had suggested such a thing to Azaru, he had politely replied that Terrans had no business learning the secrets of Protoss ships.

Miranda continued, "It is currently 0800 hours. At 1000 hours, I want everyone at their battle stations and all boarding parties prepared! We are jumping directly to Junction with the _Epiphany of Light_, and make no mistake, people, there's going to be a tough fight as soon as we get there. Junction's space station is small and remote, evening the odds for us. Even so, do not relent for a second." She pounded one fist into her open palm, her eyes intense. "It's our job to destroy everything standing between us and Xavier Daniels save for the _Dire Wolf _itself. That ship is the _Fenris_' sister ship, and we'll need it when we re-unite the Hellhounds to defend the Umojan Protectorate. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Charlotte barked with the other commanders.

"Good," Miranda nodded once. She pressed a button on a keypad and the viewscreen behind her displayed a tactical map. "Pay close attention. This is how we will carry out this operation. First, we -"

"Commander! One contact entering our space!" piped a voice on the comm.

"Hostile?" Miranda asked back, visibly tense.

"It's Umojan," came the voice. "But I can't identify where it came from."

Everyone turned to look out the windows. A whirling vortex of green and blue energies warped into existence, then one spherical vessel popped out. The ship's thrusters blazed bright yellow as the craft sped toward the _Fenris_, and the energy field collapsed in its wake.

"This is the science vessel _Lazarus _of the Umojan Cyborg Institute," stated a flat male voice on the comm system. "Requesting permission to dock, _Fenris_. We are here on the authority of Dr. Julie Hanson."

Miranda's eyes widened slightly but her voice was calm as she responded, "Understood. Permission granted, _Lazarus_. Send a delegation to the main briefing room to meet me."

"Roger that. _Lazarus _out," the voice responded in the same flat manner.

Murmurs of curiosity and surprise flew among the commanders and Protoss, but Miranda stood still and silent as the minutes crept past. Finally, the briefing room's doors slid open and several huge people marched in, a woman in a gray lab coat among them. Charlotte didn't recognize the woman with long black hair and thick-framed glasses, but she certainly recognized one of the armored Reapers who escorted her. "Trevor!" she blurted.

"Charlotte," Trevor saluted her with two fingers. "Been a while, hasn't it? Still doing okay with the scout force?"

"I... yeah," Charlotte swallowed, suddenly feeling off-put. She knew that Trevor would have a few boasts and smart-assed remarks up his sleeve... but why was he here? He was even in full armor, as were the two marines, one firebat, and one Marauder who escorted the woman. The odd party stopped in the middle of the briefing room, while the woman approached Miranda and offered a hand.

"Dr. Julie Hanson, head of the Umojan Cyborg Institute," the woman introduced herself.

"Miranda, CO of this half of the Hellhounds. Good to have you, Doctor. I admit, I've never personally met you or any member of your Institute. Very secretive."

Dr. Hanson made a modest smile. "Yes, we are a rather secluded section of Minister Jorgensen's science departments. I brought a few of my men with me to prove what kind of help I'm bringing."

"One of my own, it seems," Miranda commented, looking past Dr. Hanson at Trevor. "I hope you've been taking care of him."

"The best I could," Hanson assured her. "I have a large squad of cyborg soldiers prepared to unite the Hellhounds and defend Umoja from all threats. That, and this provides another chance to test my cyborgs."

"They're not fully trained?"

"Well..." Dr. Hanson hesitated. "They have all been trained at my facility and have been sent on real missions... but they've never had to deal with a firefight on board a Battlecruiser against a hardened enemy like Xavier's Hellhounds. What's more, we're trying to minimize casualties on the enemy's side. Stun rounds, trickery... this will take some finesse."

"Well, I do have a plan," Miranda stated. "See the viewscreen? The _Fenris _and _Epiphany of Light _will neutralize all of Daniels' and the Dominion's space fighters and assets, then pick off the _Dire Wolf_'s turrets to clear the way for dropships. We board the _Dire Wolf _at its cargo bays and make our way to the bridge. In the boarding party, there will be several heavy firefight teams plus two specialized teams: one psionic squad and one technician squad."

Hanson looked at the Protoss with admiration. "I can guess who's on the psionic squad."

"Plus me," Nick added, walking over to his place with the Protoss. He seemed very small next to them.

"The psionic squad is designed to capture enemy support crew and use mind control on them," Miranda explained. "Force the enemy staff to open or close doors to our benefit and give the enemy soldiers bad directions. The tech squad will carry out similar operations to cover any gaps that the psionic squad leaves, not to mention disabling enemy turrets, cyber-warfare suites, and other electronic obstacles."

"Sounds like you have a solid plan," Hanson approved. "How soon will this happen?"

Miranda checked her watch. "It's 8011 hours now, and we make the jump at 1000 hours. Have your men prepped, Doctor. We need to make this count."

Hanson turned to her cyborgs. "We have our orders. Meet with the Hellhounds infantry squads in the hangar. We're taking the fight to the enemy."

The cyborgs shuffled back into the elevator, but Charlotte hurried over to Trevor before he got in. "You seemed awfully quiet," Charlotte commented.

The towering Reaper offered a small grin. "Wasn't nothin' to say, darlin'. Miranda and Dr. Hanson have our mission plan worked out. It's my job to lead my men and carry out that plan to the best of my ability. A lot is counting on me. I can't fail my allies."

Charlotte beamed. "Wow, Trevor. Julie Hanson over there really tamed you! I like the new you."

"Is that how you see it?" Trevor asked, suddenly looking bashful. "Well... anyway, I have to go. Best of luck, Charlotte." He marched into the elevators with the other cyborgs and Dr. Hanson, then the elevator doors slid shut.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Hangar 02, Battlecruiser **_**Fenris****_, Umoja Orbit,_**

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**January 16, 2505**_

Since there would be no room for vehicles on board the _Dire Wolf_, Charlotte had given up her pilot suit in favor of a bulletproof vest that sported the Hellhounds logo and urban camouflage pants and black boots. She carried one Scythe pistol in her holster, the same type that Reapers wielded. One of the armory officers had recommended a Gauss Rifle for sustained combat, but Charlotte had turned the offer down, not favoring a slow and heavy weapon. One pistol would be enough for her... plus a combat knife sheathed on her belt.

Around Charlotte stood hundreds of soldiers, all marines, firebats, and Marauders. A total of five dropships sat in this hangar, and Charlotte knew that the other three hangars each had five more dropships to carry over a thousand soldiers into the _Dire Wolf_. Eight of the Cyborg Institute soldiers stood in this hangar and the rest were in the other hangar, all ready to fight. Some of the soldiers from the Raging Spades infantry squads were here too.

"Ready to roll, Charlotte?" Nick asked kindly, double-checking his pistol's laser sight for flaws. "Today we make or break our entire army."

"Honestly, I'm more concerned about you than me," Charlotte admitted with a small smile. "Your job sounds tricky, basically brain-hacking the _Dire Wolf_'s crew to make a path for the soldiers. You know, Xavier Daniels is with the Dominion, and he has that Colonel Falcon guy with him. I'll bet that Daniels has a few Ghost agents on his side."

"But we've got the Protoss, the authoritative voice of psionics," Nick offered. "Azaru and his templar assured us that no 'feeble Terran brain' will stop us."

"Then I guess you only have to worry about getting gunned down," Charlotte figured. "Those psi-blades are deadly up close but there are other ways the hostile Hellhounds can fight back."

Shaking his head slightly, Nick stepped forward and hugged Charlotte tight. "I know all that. But let's not worry so soon. We can get the job done."

"Don't tell me you're at least a little nervous."

"Well..." Nick broke away from Charlotte, his face falling. "I guess I shouldn't underestimate the risks. As long as the plan works and no Dominion reinforcements show up, we've got a solid chance. If not... at least we went down fighting for the right reasons."

"It's the thought that counts," Charlotte smiled again.

A voice boomed on the intercom. "Prepare for jump! As soon as we arrive, it's all weapons hot! Fighter teams, prepare for engagement. Dropships, prepare to load your troops and meet with your escorts."

"That's our cue," Nick shrugged, shuffling into the nearest dropship's open troop bay with the other soldiers. Swallowing hard, Charlotte walked up the ramp and settled into her seat, strapping herself in while the other soldiers did the same.

Then, Charlotte felt herself compressed into what felt like a single atom, and everything was sucked into a black vortex as the _Fenris _and _Epiphany of Light _both made the jump.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Cockpit, Junction Orbit,**_

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 16, 2505**_

_By the book, Miranda. This is simply one space battle like any other, _Miranda told herself, steeling her nerves as she secured herself into her Viking's cockpit and gripped the two joysticks tightly. In the cockpit, dozens of blinking blue and green lights confirmed that her craft was ready for launch, and any minute now, her craft would be shot out of this launching tube and into the fray. Despite knowing the carnage that lay ahead, Miranda breathed deep and relaxed, entering the pre-battle calm that she had learned was necessary for her survival. Getting tense or anxious would not help.

"Eagle One, prepare for launch," stated a voice in Miranda's helmet. Her five-man wing would be Eagle Wing, and several other wings of Viking and Wraith craft in the _Fenris _were ready to help take the fight to Xavier Daniels and the Dominion.

"Eagle One is ready," Miranda responded, and then one display on her HUD changed from red to green. At once, the Viking shot forth like a bullet down a gun's barrel, and Miranda felt herself being pressed into her seat from the G-forces. Only a few seconds later, countless stars popped into her sight through the cockpit glass, and the planet Junction floated below. Green and brown continents and wispy white clouds showed up clearly on Junction's surface, since the planet was so close. Still, Miranda couldn't stall to admire the view: already, she could see two hostile Battlecruisers hovering in the near distance, one of which was docked with a space station. Numerous repair craft floated around the second Battlecruiser, sparks flying from where they repaired the ship's hull and inner systems. The blocky red letters DIRE WOLF could easily be seen on the ship's hull.

As more and more Vikings and Wraiths flooded out of the _Fenris_' hull, numerous such craft began to pour from the hangars of the two enemy Battlecruisers as well. Countless lasers, torpedoes, and missiles began to race back and forth chaotically, explosions peppering the battle every few seconds.

"Jamming signal is now active, commander," came the voice of a communications officer on board the _Fenris_. "Both enemy Battlecruisers and the repair station are gagged and silent for now, but the signal won't last forever."

"Understood," Miranda replied, then added, "Eagle Wing, form up!" to her wing mates On her radar, she watched as four more Vikings drifted into formation, with Miranda at the head of the group. She stole a quick look at the _Epiphany of Light_, and the gold Carrier unleashed swarms of its small interceptor craft. The countless interceptors raced into the battle, scattering all over the place like bees. The tiny craft easily outmaneuvered the slower Terran vessels, taking little fire in return. However, Miranda figured that just one Lanzer torpedo hit or one Gemini missile cluster could easily pop an interceptor.

"Their fighter screen is falling back," Miranda announced on the open com. "Dropship flights, deploy and stay close. I need ships to escort them toward the _Dire Wolf_." She then coordinated several wings of craft to escort the dropships, and the _Epiphany of Light _drifted closer to the enemy ships to distract the enemy from the dropships.

"We're taking heavy fire!" cried one of the wing commanders escorting the dropships. Miranda's men gave the enemy a tough fight, but she could see many of her own ships going down, and she winced as first one dropship succumbed to enemy fire, then another. Dozens of armored soldiers spilled from the floating wreckage of the dropships, and Miranda vowed to not lose any more men like that.

Pushing her joysticks toward the enemy, Miranda barked, "Eagle Wing, we're flanking the enemy interceptors! Give them hell!" Her wing consisted of he five best pilots in the Hellhounds army, and she planned to push that advantage.

Locking her sights onto a slippery enemy Wraith, Miranda pushed her throttle to maximum, watching as the tracker for the target's distance shrank the number of meters between her and the Wraith. Just as the Wraith pulled a corkscrew maneuver to evade a cluster of interceptors, Miranda achieved a target lock and squeezed her triggers. Two Lanzer torpedoes streaked from her Viking's hull-mounted launchers, and the Wraith, already distracted by the interceptors, took a direct hit from both projectiles. The back half of the Wraith vanished in a silent fireball, chunks of its engine and hull scattering through space. The cockpit and one wing stayed together, propelled by sheer momentum. Five Protoss interceptors flocked toward the remains, melting the damaged Wraith into slag with their cannons.

"Eagle One, you've got one on your six!" one of Miranda's wing mates warned. Indeed, a lock-on warning blared on Miranda's HUD, and she shoved her joysticks hard, sending her Viking into a looping maneuver that nearly blacked her out. She was rewarded by an enemy Viking flying below her, its pilot no doubt confused. Swooping down, Miranda slipped her crosshairs onto the enemy craft and squeezed off two more torpedoes. The enemy pilot saw the shots coming, however, and rolled away just in time. One torpedo, confused by the sudden move, streaked off into empty space, its targeting systems frazzled. The other torpedo had better luck, curving to keep up with the elusive Viking. The torpedo snagged the Viking on its left wing, blasting off the wing with a single explosion. The Viking spiraled out of control from the impact force, drifting away from the battle. Another pair of torpedoes from Eagle Three finished off the Viking, scattering its charred remains through space.

As the dropships flew closer to the _Dire Wolf_, they started taking fire from the Battlecruiser's turrets. Laser bolts flew every which way from the _Dire Wolf_, and Miranda's ships started taking hits fast. The enemy fighter screen had been thinned out pretty well, but a lot of Miranda's men had been lost and Miranda's Vikings and Wraiths couldn't hope to survive long against a Battlecruiser, even if the cruiser was in the middle of repairs.

"_It seems that you require aid," _Azaru's mental voice popped into Miranda's head. _"I received a report from the bridge of my Carrier. Help is on the way."_

"_But what about that Dominion Battlecruiser? We can't just ignore it," _Miranda sent back tensely. She could see the Dominion ship gliding toward the _Dire Wolf_, intending to combine its turret fire with the _Dire Wolf_'s.

"_My Void Rays can slow down the Dominion vessel by targeting its engines," _Azaru sent back. _"And my Phoenix fighters will use their speed to strafe the turrets on the _Dire Wolf_. This entire battle hinges on us being able to board the _Dire Wolf_. I will what I can to achieve that goal."_

"_All right," _Miranda responded. _"Just give your men the word and let's hope for the best."_

"_I have already told them," _Azaru sent back confidently. _"Even though I am on board this Terran dropship, I can mentally give commands to my entire crew and I know the tactical data that they do. Such is the power of the Khala."_

"_I have to say that that trumps most human battlefield networking," _Miranda commented. _"Just make sure your boys give the enemy hell."_

Another dropship succumbed to enemy fire, disintegrating from countless Battlecruiser turret bolts that tore into its armored hull. Still, a trio of silvery Void Ray craft floated quickly from the hangars of the _Epiphany of Light _and made a beeline for the Dominion Battlecruiser. Meanwhile, two dozen sleek Phoenix craft swarmed from the Carrier's hangars to join the ragged Hellhounds fighter screen, flying straight toward the looming _Dire Wolf_. The _Dire Wolf_'s turrets came alive, pumping out vivid red laser bolts as fast as they could. Two unlucky Phoenixes exploded into blue fire and chunks of golden hull chunks, but the rest of them unleashed their ion cannons with devastating results. One turret after another melted into orange-red slag, and the rest of the turrets struggled to catch the Phoenixes that flew fast and low to the Battlecruiser's surface. The Phoenixes reached the end of the _Dire Wolf _and broke away, their strafing run complete.

Miranda scowled at her radar. "The enemy ships are regrouping!" she warned. "Check your sixes! Check – damn it!"

Multiple lock-on warnings popped onto Miranda's HUD, and she quickly slammed one hand onto the decoy button. Enemy Gemini missiles caught the decoys, peppering the space behind Miranda with explosions. Gritting her teeth, Miranda sent her Viking into a barrel roll, hoping that her wing mates could cover her. However, a single torpedo grazed Miranda's craft, and she bit back a cry as the explosion rattled her craft and flung it away. Miranda's Viking tumbled through empty space, its stabilizer jets fighting to get the craft back on track. Her ears ringing with warning sirens, Miranda checked her HUD: the lower right section of her Viking had taken the worst of the blow, her right engine port damaged severely. She could fly her craft straight for now, but as soon as her right engine port crapped out, she'd have trouble docking with the _Fenris_, let along dogfight.

"I've got your back!" Eagle Four called out on the comm. A few seconds later, a nearby enemy Viking vanished from Miranda's radar.

"_The Dominion Battlecruiser's engines are offline," _came Azaru's mental voice. _"Its turrets are out of effective range to help the _Dire Wolf_. My Phoenixes will make one more strafing run on the _Dire Wolf_, then your dropships are on their own. I am losing Phoenixes faster than I expected."_

"_Very well," _Miranda noted, guiding her Viking back to the dropships convoy. Three more dropships had been lost, leaving fourteen dropships operational out of the twenty that had launched from the _Fenris_. Meanwhile, the three Void Rays continued to hammer the Dominion Battlecruiser's stern with their thick, electric blue prismatic beams. Already, huge globs of molten neo-steel armor floated in the space behind the Battlecruiser, quickly cooling and hardening. The Battlecruiser was slowly creeping toward the _Dire Wolf_, propelled only by its momentum. Miranda knew that her men needed to board the _Dire Wolf _quickly and capture the bridge before Dominion reinforcements could arrive. The jamming signal would be eventually overcome, so Miranda's men were already on the clock.

The fourteen surviving dropships hung back, letting the remaining phoenix squadrons race back toward the _Dire Wolf _for another run. Once again, turret fire scattered throughout space, but this time, the turret fire was considerably lighter. A few more phoenixes vanished in blue fireballs from turret fire, but the other phoenixes slashed apart more turrets with their ion cannons, and when the squadrons soared away from the _Dire Wolf_, Miranda's mind was visited by the mental voice of the phoenix squad captain. _"This is Khazuun of the phoenix division. My men have done all they can. Hellhounds, now is your best chance to board the _Dire Wolf _and confront the warriors within."_

"_Copy that. Good work," _Miranda sent back, then spoke into the Hellhounds battle channel. "The _Dire Wolf _has had its fangs pulled. Dropships, get in there! We'll cover you."

Now that all fighters on board the _Dire Wolf _had been launched, the hangar bay doors started to slide closed. Quickly, the fourteen dropships fired up their thruster ports to maximum and shot forward on long jets of bluish flames. One by one, the dropships slipped in past the few remaining turrets on the _Dire Wolf _and glided into the hangars, although one damaged dropship's aft engine took a hit from a turret bolt. The engine exploded, throwing the dropships hopelessly off-course. Every nearby turret focused fire on the helpless dropship, pounding it into molten shreds.

_Thirteen, then, _Miranda thought tightly, but luckily, the last dropship hovered into the hangar by the time the hangar doors snapped shot. Pulling back her Viking, Miranda regrouped her wing and made a beeline for the _Fenris_. "All wings, regroup and head back. The boarding party will take care of things from this point on. Wish them luck."


	22. Chapter 21

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Chapter 21**

_**Hangar, Battlecruiser **_**Dire Wolf****_, Junction orbit,_**

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 16, 2505**_

As soon as the bay door of her dropship lowered itself to form a ramp, Charlotte hurried down the ramp with the other soldiers into a spacious hangar bay on board the _Dire Wolf_. Five other friendly dropships glided into the bay, slowly lowering themselves to the metal floor with their exhaust jets spitting fire. Just as the other dropships unloaded their troops, Charlotte heard a loud tone that beeped every few seconds. Red lights flashed on the walls in time with the tones.

"They've been alerted to our presence," warned Major Summers, the man in charge of Charlotte's group. He hefted his Gauss Rifle into position, aiming it at the wide doors that led out of the hangar. "Everyone take cover!"

The Hellhounds soldiers scattered, taking up positions behind heavy crates and idle SCVs. The few dockworkers who had been at work here fled toward the emergency exits, knowing that a firefight was coming. Charlotte crouched behind a crate near Trevor and two marines. "So, ready to have some fun?" Trevor asked her.

"Just like old times," Charlotte smiled back, gripping her heavy Scythe pistol tightly. "I honestly never thought we'd fight together like this again."

"We're part of the same family. The Hellhounds family," Trevor boasted. "Nothing keeps us apart." He then slipped on his Reaper helmet, securing it into place with a few buckles and airtight seals.

_For better or worse, I suppose, _Charlotte thought. Just as she chuckled to herself at the thought, the bay doors at the far end of the room flew open and the hangar was suddenly ringing with the sounds of hundreds of guns firing. Countless loud clangs filled the air as Gauss bullets rattled against the crates and SCVs, and explosions shook the room as hostile marines threw grenades. Charlotte winced and ducked her head even lower, painfully aware that her head was vulnerable. Trevor, however, soared into the air on his Nitro jet packs, stunning the nearest hostile marines. Vaulting even higher into the air, Trevor let loose with his pistols, showering the nearby marines with non-lethal stun rounds. One marine after another crumpled under the withering assault, their armor plates clunking against the hard metal floor.

Every invading Hellhound had stun rounds in their weapons, ensuring that Xavier's men would be taken down but not killed. _After all, _Charlotte reminded herself, _Xavier's men will eventually become our men if this mission succeeds. No more Hellhounds need to die at the hands of their brothers and sisters!_

Trevor landed heavily on a catwalk, giving him a huge high-ground advantage. Detaching a mine from his belt, Trevor hurled the explosive at a cluster of hostile marines who were huddled behind a stack of crates. The mine blasted the crates away and knocked the marines onto their backs. Intense fire from a nearby Hellhounds team took the marines down with stun rounds with little effort.

"Enemy reinforcements!" Major Summers shouted. Charlotte risked a peek above her cover and saw dozens more hostile marines and Marauders rushing in from the hangar doors, all of them opening fire as soon as they entered the hangar. Charlotte winced as many of her fellows collapsed from the intense fire, their armor plates shattered and blood oozing from their wounds. Baring her teeth, Charlotte scooted toward the edge of her cover and peeked around the corner, raising her Scythe pistol and aiming down its sights. She squeezed the trigger, her arm shuddering from the weapon's strong recoil. A nearby hostile marine stumbled back, Charlotte's stun round slugging him in the chest. Twice more Charlotte fired, and her bullets pierced the weak points of the marine's chest armor. The heavily armored marine slumped to the floor, his rifle slipping out of his fingers.

The hostile Marauders took up positions and opened fire with their Punisher grenades. One explosion after another blew apart the crates and SCVs that Charlotte's fellows were using for cover, and hostile marines cut the exposed soldiers down one by one. Even one of the Umojan cyborgs went down: the mechanized marine fought to stay on his feet as a Punisher grenade blew off his right arm. Sparks and gear fluid leaked from the soldier's shoulder, and another grenade exploded against his chest armor, exposing the soldier's inner machinery. Bullets from Xavier's marines shredded the cyborg marine's internal components, and with a puff of smoke and shower of sparks, the marine collapsed.

Trevor hopped down from his vantage point, raised his arm and motioned toward his fellows. "Men! Flank them from the left! We have to take those Marauders out." Three other cyborg Reapers, four cyborg marines and two cyborg Marauders followed Trevor's lead, hopping from one cover spot after another along the left wall. Meanwhile, Charlotte popped out of cover again and unloaded her pistol's magazine on a nearby hostile Marauder, the bullets numbing the huge soldier's right arm. The Marauder clutched at his right arm, the limb going limp and dangling at his side. Another Marauder shoved the numbed Marauder aside and fired a grenade. The explosive knocked an SCV aside, exposing a few invading marines. The marines fled, taking up position behind a stack of crates instead.

"We're being pushed back!" Major Summers growled as the enemy soldiers marched ever closer. Most of the battlefield cover was blown to bits, leaving the invading soldiers far too vulnerable. Meanwhile, Xavier's men still had cover and numbers on their side, and Charlotte knew that her fellows couldn't hold out for long.

A trio of ear-shattering explosions rocked the hangar, one after another. Four cyborg Reapers leaped into the air, propelled by their Nitro jet packs. Their stun bullets tore through the air, catching a squad of hostile marines by surprise. The marines scattered like frightened fish, only to crumple under the assault. The other hostile marines whirled around and returned fire, but their Gauss bullets only bounced off the enhanced armor that the cyborg Reapers wore. Meanwhile, the cyborg marines and Marauders marched onto the scene, adding their own fire to the fight. The marines carried heavy chainguns in their mechanical arms, and a low, deep buzz sounded as the guns spat out fire at an amazing rate. The hostile infantry withered under the assault, overwhelmed by thousands of stun bullets fired from the chainguns. Cyborg Marauders launched stun grenades at their foes, catching the enemy soldiers that tried to retreat.

With a rallying cry, Major Summers led the charge, opening fire on the crumbling enemy assault force. The rest of the Hellhounds joined him, ravaging the remnants of the enemy infantry. When the last gun fell silent, hundreds of Xavier's armored men lay scattered across the hangar floor, none of them dead. Major Summers inspected the fallen soldiers, making sure that there were no traps lying in wait.

One of the fallen marines coughed. "Why... don't you finish us?" he groaned.

"Because all of you are my fellow Hellhounds," Summers told him flatly. "And I don't kill family."

Trevor marched up to Summers, holstering his weapons. "So... what comes next?"

"Regroup," Summers called out, and all of the Hellhounds, the cyborgs, the Raging Spades, and the Protoss gathered around him.

"We are prepared for battle," announced one zealot, and the others nodded.

"Good, but we have to keep your presence on this ship a secret until the next fight," Summers told the zealots. "I didn't want to tip my hand with the battle for the hangar, but your time will come. Now listen, men. The technician team will be escorted into a control room. From there, they can access the ship's layout and open doors for us. They can also shut down doors to keep the hostile Hellhounds off our backs."

"And us?" Nick asked, indicating himself and Azaru's high Templars.

"The psionic team will be given a similar role, but they will capture any enemy officers they find and control their minds. This is the backup plan in case the tech team is overwhelmed or slips up. The psionics can even make the hostile officers give messages in order to lure the ship's guards away from us. Anything to avoid direct contact until reaching bridge."

Charlotte folded her arms. "Who will escort who, Major?"

Major Summers pointed at the psionic team. "Captain Charlotte Huang-Geroux, you will pick a squad to escort the psionic team into position."

"Hmmmmmm..." Suddenly excited, Charlotte pointed at a handful of marines and Marauders, then pointed at a few of the cyborgs too. "I'll need the toughness of some of the cyborgs on my team."

"But not me?" Trevor asked, realizing that Charlotte didn't point at him.

"You will lead the escort team for the technician squad," Major Summers told him. "Choose your men."

An idea popped into Charlotte's mind. "Oh! And a few of you guys, too." She motioned toward several of Azaru's zealots and an armored stalker. "I've always wanted to have Protoss with me."

The tallest zealot dipped his head. "We will fight with ferocity and honor, Terran. You all have earned the respect of Azaru and of all of us."

"We suggest that you include this on your escort squad, Charlotte," advised another zealot, patting his hand on a Sentry robot. "This Sentry provides invaluable support during infantry warfare." The flat, armored Sentry buzzed and clicked its affirmative, its glowing eye fixed on Charlotte. The glowing blue ball in its frame spun in place, crackling with psionic power.

Charlotte smiled. "Okay, we'll bring the Sentry with us. What can it do?"

"Create barriers to block the enemy or to cut off retreat," the zealot explained. "It is also able to fool the eyes of the enemy by creating imaginary forces to form a distraction. Most importantly, the Sentry can conjure a psionic bubble barrier that shields us from enemy fire."

"Neat," Charlotte commented, looking at the Sentry fondly. "What a handy little fella!"

"The rest of you will form the main assault team," Major Summers continued. "The tech and psionic teams will make it possible for the assault team to reach the bridge and capture Xavier and his officers. Now, we all have our assignments. Move out!"

Charlotte slid a fresh magazine into her Scythe pistol and motioned for her fellows to form up with her. Nick and the high Templar, six people in total, clustered up and let the guards form a protective ring around them. Charlotte marched toward one of the doors and led her team down a brightly-lit hallway, praying that the other two teams would be safe.

*o*o*o*o*

Luckily, Charlotte's escort squad encountered little in the way of resistance as the mixed Terran and Protoss group navigated the steel hallways and chambers of the _Dire Wolf_. Every five minutes, Charlotte checked in with Trevor, the head guard of the technician team, and Major Summers, the leader of the main assault team. As Charlotte and her men piled into an elevator and selected the pre-determined deck, Charlotte tapped into the comm again. "Assault team, tech team, what's your status?"

Summers' voice was breathless but confident. "Just took out a large enemy force. We're making good progress toward the central elevator that leads to the bridge. We're not out of the woods yet, though. Your status?"

"Reaching the designated deck," Charlotte told him. "The officers' quarters."

"Good. Have your Protoss friends control those officers to give bad directions to the ship guards. We'll need it."

Then Trevor's voice came in, and the rapid rattle of gunfire echoed in the background of his channel. "I've reached this deck's control room but there's heavy resistance! I've already lost some of my men. Doing what I can over here."

Charlotte felt anxiety churn in her gut. "Hang in there, Trevor. Maybe my team can draw some hostiles away from you."

"Might want to hurry with that plan," Trevor responded tightly, then cut the channel.

The elevator car lurched to a halt and the wide doors slid open, revealing a wide and well-lit hallway. Raising her heavy Scythe pistol to the ready position, Charlotte motioned for her mixed squad to advance, while the high Templars and Nick cautiously brought up the rear.

Then bullets sizzled through the air.

"Take cover!" Charlotte slipped behind a wall on one of the many branching hallways, letting the bullets hiss past her. The cyborg marines and Marauders also ducked behind crates and hid behind walls, snapping off return shots whenever they could. Charlotte marveled at the cyborgs: their thick armor and general lack of human flesh allowed them to withstand considerable punishment, giving them the chance to unleash heavy fire on the defending troopers. One after another, the enemy soldiers collapsed from the stun rounds that Charlotte's team hurled at them, and Charlotte herself peeked out of cover, taking down a pair of marines with her heavy pistol.

"Advance!" Charlotte ordered as the last few enemy soldiers retreated down the hallway. Charlotte's whole team charged down the hallway, drawing ever closer to the designated officers' comm room. However, just as Charlotte and her men rounded a corner and started down a different hallway, warning lights suddenly started flashing on the walls and a tone buzzed on the comms. A sudden rumbling sound came from behind, and Charlotte whirled around to behold a thick blast door sliding down from the ceiling. Alarmed, Charlotte fired a few rounds at the neo-steel door, but the thick stun bullets bounced uselessly off the metal surface. The door slammed down with the finality of a tomb door sealing shut.

"Looks like we're not going back that way," one cyborg marine commented nervously. Just as the words left his mouth, dozens more enemy troopers spilled into the hallway from several meters up ahead, filling the air with their bullets. A cyborg marine, his armor already badly damaged, took concentrated fire to the chest with a blast of shredded armor and sparks. The marine toppled in a mess of shattered mechanical body parts, his rifle slipping from his fingers.

Getting behind a large crate, Charlotte peeked out of cover and saw several security turrets emerging from hidden panels in the walls. The turrets' barrels opened fire with rapid-fire heavy bullets that easily pierced the thick armor of the cyborg soldiers, forcing the cyborgs to quickly take cover.

"Another door!" a cyborg Marauder warned, pointing. Charlotte saw it too: a second blast door emerged from behind the enemy troops, effectively trapping Charlotte's men with the enemy soldiers in a sealed-off section of the hallway. Charlotte's heart sank: her men were already outgunned, and now they couldn't even escape! Her heart hammered fearfully in her chest and she tightly gripped her pistol's grip to steady herself. _Get it together! Every puzzle __has a solution. Just find the answer to this one._

A cyborg marine popped out of cover, his cyber-enhanced brain allowing him to snap off three hyper-accurate bursts from his rifle to take down three enemy marines. One of the turrets locked on to the marine, and its heavy bullets easily tore his midsection apart with a shower of smoke and shredded armor plating. To Charlotte's amazement, the marine dragged his upper torso back into cover, abandoning his Gauss rifle in order to crawl across the floor.

"I'm okay!" the marine gasped. "I just won't be marchin' in formation for a while." He extended his right arm, and his mechanical hand folded at the wrist, settling on top of the forearm. A gun barrel poked out of the wrist, and the marine pointed it down the hallway and opened fire.

_And now I see the upsides of trans-humanism, _Charlotte commented to herself. She raised her voice. "Protoss! Do you guys have a way out of this?"

One of the zealots, who kept himself deep in cover, nodded and pointed at the Sentry. "We do."

The Sentry beeped and clicked a short, melodious tone from its cover behind a large crate. Then, its crystal ball glowed brightly and spun faster and faster until four ghostly images of marines materialized into the air like mirages. The false marines marched into the open, raising their rifles as though to fire. The wall-mounted turrets swiveled to face the marines, letting loose with heavy fire.

Getting the idea, Charlotte motioned toward the four cyborg Marauders on her team. "Go! Take out those turrets!"

The Marauders marched into the open, raising their arms to fire. Punisher grenades flew everywhere, and a few seconds later, a string of floor-shuddering explosions fill the hallway. A wall of flame forced the members of Charlotte's team to take cover, but when the flames and smoke cleared, the turrets had been reduced to charred steel stumps that weakly spat out sparks. The enemy marines focused their fire, and their combined Gauss bullets tore off the left arm and both legs of one of the cyborg Marauders. The injured Marauder merely grabbed another Marauder's leg, letting the host Marauder drag him into cover.

"Does that thing have enough juice for any more powers?" Charlotte called over to the zealots as the enemy marines and Marauders pressed ever closer. They still enjoyed a numerical advantage over Charlotte's men even with the wall turrets destroyed. Even the stalker had to keep behind cover, though the armored walker often popped out of cover to fire a few blue energy bolts before retreating again. The stalker often caught enemy fire, but its shields kept its body safe until it got back into cover.

The tallest zealot's eyes flashes electric blue. "We must seize the initiative, Charlotte! The Sentry's shield can get us withing effective striking distance."

"To let you use those blades?" Charlotte called back.

All of the zealots activated their psi-blades as one. "Indeed!" the tallest one replied. Hearing that, the Sentry beeped again and hovered into the open, conjuring a huge, shimmering blue bubble of psionic energy. All of Charlotte's men clustered up in the bubble and marched down the hallway to meet the incoming enemy forces. The hostile troopers unloaded their guns on the Sentry's barrier, but the bubble's ethereal surface absorbed the blows, allowing the zealots to safely get even closer to striking range. Clearly frustrated, the enemy troopers reloaded and unleashed another heavy volley, and this time some of the rounds started to punch through the Sentry's weakening shield. Charlotte and her men opened fire to cover the zealots, then the zealots sprang forward like hungry jaguars. The enemy marines and Marauders cowered as the zealots landed upon them, and the zealots' psi blades slashed rapidly through the air.

"Careful!" Charlotte shouted, but the zealots were already working toward a bloodless victory. Their sizzling energy blades sliced apart the marines' Gauss rifles and damaged the Marauders' grenade launchers. Then the zealots kicked aside the troopers, knocking them out with their powerful blows.

Charlotte stared in amazement: the enemy soldiers lay scattered in the hallway with their broken rifles strewn on the floor, and none were even injured but all of them were taken out of the fight. Then, Trevor's voice spoke up in Charlotte's comm. "This is the captain of the tech team's escort. The tech team is in position."

"Good," came Summers' voice. "I'm giving you my coordinates..." Summers proceeded to give Trevor a list of obstacles in his way, and Trevor sent the affirmative that each one would be dealt with in short order.

"I've got a little issue here too," Charlotte added. "I'm on deck 7, hallway E4. Blast doors have been lowered in order to hamper the psionic team's progress."

"Copy that," Trevor sent back. A minute later, both blast doors rumbled and slid upwards into the ceiling, and thankfully, the hallway was clear in both directions. After sending Trevor a quick thanks, Charlotte motioned and set her team forth, rounding a corner and finally reaching one of the officers' wings.

"Freeze!" Charlotte barked as she swung open the door, leveling her Scythe pistol at several men and women who wore Hellhounds uniforms. The rest of Charlotte's team piled in, making sure that no one could escape. Several soldier platoon captains were in the room too, fully suited up in their marine combat armor. Being outnumbered, none tried to resist.

One of the officers swallowed and kept his eyes on Charlotte's weapon. "What do you want with us?"

Charlotte nodded at the high Templar and Nick. "Your guys' minds, that's what."

One of the high Templar walked confidently toward one of the marine guard captains, extending a four-fingered hand toward the alarmed Terran's face. With gentle blue psionic power radiating from his fingers, the Templar took hold of the marine captain's head for a minute and then let go. One by one, the other Templar and Nick cornered the frightened officers and dominated their minds with potent psionics.

"This is the psionic squad's captain," Charlotte spoke into the comm. "We've taken control of the guard captains and several officers."

"Good. Use them to move away the soldiers who will get in my way," responded Summers. "My men are worn thin here and I'm almost at the bridge. Tech team, disable any remaining enemy turrets or alarms."

"Copy that," Trevor acknowledged. "I will – enemy reinforcements! We're taking fire!"

Charlotte could hear rapid gunfire at Trevor's end of the comm and she knew that the tech team wouldn't be able to help Summers' squad for long. After Charlotte received coordinates and directions from Summers, she relayed the orders to the Templar and to Nick. The Protoss and Nick sent the officers to their stations, forcing them to give their platoons orders that drew the enemy Hellhounds troops away from Summers' squad instead of toward it.

"We can't keep this up!" Trevor barked anxiously on the comm. "Psi team, you'd better be doing your job! I don't want to die a second time for nothing!"

"No one else needs to die," Charlotte blurted, but she stood by her conviction. "Assault team, what's your progress?"

"Nearly there," Summers responded tightly. "Just a few pockets of resistance. Reaching main elevator now. Looks like the tech team overrode the elevator's anti-intruder locks. Good."

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Charlotte locked the doors of this room and sank into a chair, feeling the sweat that had soaked her undershirt. _I really hope that this is almost over. I could use a shower and a long nap._

*o*o*o*o*

_**Bridge, Battlecruiser **_**Dire Wolf****_, Junction orbit,_**

_**Terran Dominion,**_

_**January 16, 2505**_

Major Summers hefted his Gauss rifle to a ready position and drew a deep breath as the spacious elevator arrived at the bridge, coming to a smooth stop at the destination. As soon as the neo-steel doors slid apart, Summers rushed into the bridge with his men in tow, ordering his men to spread out in the proper formation. Several marines on the bridge simultaneously raised their Gauss rifles to fire, but a hand signal from Xavier Daniels caused the weapons to be lowered.

"Drop it, men. This is over," Daniels said gravely, his eyes fixed on Summers. He looked the same as ever, with his chin stubble and heavy vest over a white T-shirt. Several of his officers and a few Dominion officers stood around him at the bridge's highest point, where they could see out the bridge's windows. The blue and green world of Junction floated like a huge orb in the view ports, and the _Fenris_, _Epiphany of Light_, and the Dominion Battlecruiser could be easily seen from here. The Dominion cruiser was well on its way to intercept the _Fenris_, and Summers didn't like that.

"Call off that Dominion cruiser. Now," Summers barked, pointing at a Dominion officer. The man glanced apprehensively at Daniels, who nodded.

"Do what he says, Colonel Falcon. We've underestimated our foes, it seems," Daniels told the man. He folded his arms.

The man named Colonel Falcon scowled at Summers but complied with the demand, tapping into a comm panel and ordering the Dominion Battlecruiser to cease hostilities.

"So, you've got me," Daniels said conversationally, his arms raised in surrender. "I bet Miranda wants to haul me right back to Umoja and force me to swear undying loyalty to Minister Jorgensen."

"Something like that," Summers responded. "But keep in mind that this Zerg invasion is changing the rules. We serve the highest bidder, but not when the Umojan Protectorate, our home, is threatened by the Zerg menace. Loyalty to our home is worth more than a fat pocketbook right now, Daniels. Maybe now the lesson has finally sunk in."

"Might take some time," Daniels shrugged. "But don't you know what we're missing by having me leave my contract with the Dominion?"

Summers grinned slightly. "When humanity is safe again, we can work on the payroll of the Dominion or anyone else who hires us. We're a mercenary army, after all. But the money comes later. Right now, what matters most is that we're Umojans."

"Yes, I get the message," Daniels retorted impatiently. "Fine. I will comply with all your demands. I know that I've lost. At least I lost to my fellow Hellhounds. Us Hellhounds don't lose to anyone."

"Too true," Summers added with a surge of pride. "Now, call off all your men, Daniels. My own men are still fighting for their lives in this ship. My technician team in particular."

Daniels produced a comm device and switched it on. "All personnel, stand down. We have been captured and will rejoin Miranda's half of the Hellhounds army, then proceed back to Umoja. Our contract with the Dominion is over." He switched the comm back off and gave the cyborgs a look of admiration. "Where'd you get the cyborgs, Summers?"

"From the Umoja Cyborg Institute," Summers told him. "And you should know that Trevor survived a battle against the Zerg and became one. He's an even finer soldier than before, and with less attitude."

"I didn't think either of those things was possible," Daniels commented.

"And," Summers added, "you'll get the chance to see it for yourself once your men reunite with Miranda's and make the Hellhounds army whole again."


	23. Chapter 22: Epilogue

**A MATTER OF LOYALTY**

**Epilogue: A New Day**

_**Training fields, Umoja,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**January 20, 2505**_

"I have to admit, Azaru, I'm really going to miss you and your boys. And, um... your robots," Miranda smiled as she and the other Hellhounds officers stood in a group on the grassy plains of the training fields, just a five minute drive away from the huge Mercenary Outpost building. Before the Hellhounds officers stood the petite zealot Azaru and his own officers, along with a few stalkers and a handful of Sentries.

Azaru's electric blue eyes softened as he narrowed them and tilted his head. Charlotte had been told that this was a Protoss smile, and she had to resist the urge to mimic the gesture. "It has been an honor to fight alongside Terrans who value loyalty to friends and home over material gain and conquest," Azaru replied as he finished his smile. "My men and I have certainly gained new insight to your kind's values and culture, at least as far as the Umojan Protectorate is concerned. My experience with you, Miranda, and your followers will be related to my fellows back in Protoss space and with any luck, it may soften my race's stern views on your kind."

"I definitely wouldn't mind improving Terran-Protoss relations," Miranda agreed, "but I doubt that it will be that quick or easy. It's a big galaxy out there with a lot of different people and planets."

"Wise words," Azaru commented. "I now carry the Xel'Naga artifact from Heralt and can use it to gain the favor of Protoss leadership. I was dishonored for supporting Tassadar's controversial and merciful actions at Mar Sara some years ago, but my shame will not be permanent if I have any say in the matter."

"Well... be safe out there, I guess," Miranda said as a Protoss warp prism armored in golden plating descended from the sky. High overhead, Charlotte could see the massive _Epiphany of Light _Carrier floating in the sky, appearing only as large as her thumb from here.

"And may fortune smile upon you," Azaru returned as the warp prism settled to hover a meter off the grass. "The Zerg seem to have backed away from the Protectorate to concentrate on the Dominion, but I trust you to guard your borders all the same."

"Of course," Miranda smiled again. "The Hellhounds are back together and it's a new day for everyone. The Protectorate's kinda sitting pretty right now."

Azaru made another Protoss smile. "I do not fully grasp what it means to 'sit pretty', but nonetheless I bid you a fond farewell, Miranda. I consider you a fine example that perhaps not all Terran women are akin to the Queen of Blades."

As the Protoss psionically boarded the warp prism, Charlotte mentally winced at the mention of Sarah Kerrigan. _I can't believe that the Protoss think all human women are monsters! I'm sure glad that people like Miranda and I can prove that wrong. Those Terran-Protoss relations need that misconception cleared up if we're all to get along. _Still, Charlotte felt a surge of content as she watched the warp prism rise higher into the air and dart away. _Looks like everything turned out fine after all._

*o*o*o*o*

_**Training room, Umoja Cyborg Institute, Umoja,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**January 20, 2505**_

His mind still whirling with confusion, Trevor stomped down the hallways of the Cyborg Institute and into the vast training room. Minutes earlier, an Umojan military dropship had shuttled him here by Miranda's orders, but his enigmatic boss didn't quite specify the reason for his visit. He tightened his mechanical fists as he caught the attention of the cyborgs who were standing around the room. _There had better be a good reason for all this!_

"Trevor. Welcome," a familiar voice said warmly, and Dr. Julie Hanson stepped into the room, wearing her usual coat and glasses. She smiled widely at the towering cyborg Reaper before her.

Trevor snapped a quick salute back. "Doctor. Do you need me for something?"

"At ease, soldier," Hanson said kindly, hands held behind her back as she walked back and forth among the other cyborgs, who now stood in a straight line before Trevor. "Miranda sent you here for a good reason, so let's cut to the chase. Do you see these fellow cyborgs before you?"

"I sure do, Doctor," Trevor said slowly.

Hanson stopped her pacing and turned to face Trevor, positively beaming. "Then say hello to your new students!"

Trevor did a double take, backing up a few steps as he blinked in confusion. "Excuse me, what?"

"You heard that right," Hanson nodded with satisfaction. "You impressed me with your own training sessions and your mission against that Zerg hive. Miranda and I have settled a schedule for you between your missions with the re-unified Hellhounds army and with my Institute. Many soldiers from the front lines have come back home injured, and they often receive cyborg surgery and need an experienced trainer. So, that's going to be you. You'll be coming here every so often to whip these cyborg rookies into fighting shape! You're not their only trainer... but I'm willing to bet that you'll be their best."

Trevor suppressed a gleeful chuckle as he raised his chin. "Well shucks, Doctor, I'm happy to accept this position."

One of the cyborg marines snapped a salute. "Looking forward to working with you, sir."

At that, Trevor broke into a wide grin. "After our first session, you'll be eating those words, rookie."

The marine appeared unfazed. "Looks like you're just the instructor I'll need. The instructor that we'll all need."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Apartment room, Umoja,**_

_**Umojan Protectorate,**_

_**January 21, 2505**_

Dawn seemed to come much too soon to Charlotte, so she kept her eyes closed for a moment as she lay flat on her back on her soft double bed. She kept the thick covers pulled up to her collarbone to hide her nudity, and she enjoyed the feeling of the downy fabric on her skin. She finally opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of her apartment room's bedroom ceiling. Ever since joining the Hellhounds she used this apartment room only sparingly, but she loved coming here when she could. Beat the hell out of a barracks.

Sighing with content, Charlotte reached her arm over to her left, running her fingers through the brown hair of Nick, who lay beside her. "You awake, lover boy?" she asked with a faint smile. She fondly recalled the night of lovemaking she and Nick had shared earlier.

"Just barely," Nick replied with humor, sitting up and running his hand over his face. His jawline was darkened by stubble and his hair was unkempt, but Charlotte liked the rugged look those features gave him. He turned to her, his smile widening. "You go for the rugged look, huh? Maybe I should keep a small beard..."

Charlotte playfully swatted Nick's shoulder. "Reading my mind again? If I want to let you know something, I'll tell you. Oh, having a psychic boyfriend should be an adventure..."

"Better than having a dense boyfriend," Nick joked, but he knew for a fact that Charlotte agreed with him even though she didn't say a word.

Charlotte checked her bedside alarm clock and winced. "Whoa. 11:13? That's a little later than I would like. We have to report to the Mercenary Outpost at 1200 hours!"

Nick made a sly hum. "And you think that gives us _just enough _time for another round in this soft bed of yours..."

Making an embarrassed squeak, Charlotte leaped to her feet, snatching up her dark blue robe from the carpeted floor. "Stop that! But yeah... I was considering it, but I'd like to get a quick shower before we head out."

"Suit yourself, hon," Nick said warmly as he picked up the remote to the wall-mounted TV, flipping among several channels: a cooking show, a news report about crop pest outbreaks, and an ad for plushie banelings. "Hey, have you ever wanted a 'cuddly explosive alien pet'?" he asked.

"Very funny," Charlotte smiled with exasperation as she wandered over to the bathroom, flipping on the light. "Though in that form, banelings manage to be _almost _cute."

The hot water from the shower seemed to purge Charlotte of every scrap of her stress, anxiety, and fatigue, and when she stepped back out of the shower and slipped on her undergarments, she walked back into the bedroom to rummage through her wardrobe. Just as she slipped on her pants and Hellhounds shirt, however, Charlotte froze when she heard a rather interesting news item appear on the TV. She slowly began to put on her boots, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Are you seeing this?" Nick asked with awe, pointing at the screen. Charlotte didn't answer, but she stared transfixed at the shocking news before her. A recording of Emperor Arcturus Mengsk I played on the television, and the tinny but stern voice of Mengsk's recording declared that he would destroy the Zerg, the Protoss, the Confederacy, or absolutely anyone who interfered with his plans to rule the entire Koprulu Sector. What was more, the recording revealed that none other than Mengsk engineered the Zerg assault on Tarsonis in 2500, paving the way for his crowning as the first Emperor of the Terran Dominion.

Feeling faint, Charlotte sat on the edge of her bed, her warm, giddy feelings replaced by cold horror and revulsion. "Mengsk... it was all his fault," Charlotte said hoarsely. "The Confederacy's downfall... the billions slaughtered on Tarsonis..."

"I always thought he was a no-good weasel," Nick commented darkly, hopping out of bed and reaching for his combat uniform. "And this proves it. Oh, imagine the riots that will break out..."

Charlotte stood back up, taking the TV remote and shutting the television off. She fixed Nick with a determined gaze. "And to think that Xavier Daniels put half of the Hellhounds on Mengsk's payroll! I swear that I'll never work for any Mengsk ever again... not Arcturus, prince Valerian, or anyone else."

"I dunno about the prince. He might not be so bad," Nick said slowly, "but you're right: Mengsk had loyalty only to himself and his ambitions, and that makes him the polar opposite of a Hellhound. We'd better watch our backs out there, Charlotte. It's a wild universe out there." He finished putting on his uniform and walked to the front door, swinging it wide open.

"Yeah," Charlotte agreed as she walked through the open doorway. "It is."

**END.**

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **The time line of this story messes a little with the time line of the Wings of Liberty campaign, especially in regards to the Korhal news scandal, but the order of events remains the same. The Hellhounds are re-united and not long after that, Raynor's Raiders and Valerian Mengsk launch their assault on Char.

I would like to thank **Tomoyuki Tanaka**, **RougeBaron**, **indielokimin**, **Shadowbane509**, **CatCrafter**, **randityoo**, **3r4g0n**, and most of all, **Ragnarok666** for the reviews, favorite story alerts, and other forms of support. Especially with that long hiatus... thanks for sticking with this story, guys.


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